Jair Bolsonaro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jair Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro in 2019
38th President of Brazil
In office 1 January 2019 – 1 January 2023
Vice President	Hamilton Mourão
Preceded by	Michel Temer
Succeeded by	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 1 February 1991 – 1 January 2019
Constituency	Rio de Janeiro
Councillor of Rio de Janeiro
In office 1 January 1989 – 31 January 1991
Constituency	At-large
Personal details
Born	(1955-03-21) 21 March 1955 (age 70) Glicério, São Paulo, Brazil
Political party	PL (since 2021)
Other political affiliations	See list Independent (2019–2021) PSL (2018–2019) PSC (2016–2018) PP (2005–2016) PFL (2005) PTB (2003–2005) PP (1995–2003) PPR (1993–1995) PP (1993) PDC (1988–1993)
Spouses	Rogéria Nantes Braga ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1997)​ Ana Cristina Valle ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2007)​ Michelle de Paula ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	5, including Flávio, Carlos, and Eduardo
Alma mater	Military Academy of Agulhas Negras
Awards
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Brazil
Branch/service	Brazilian Army
Years of service	1973–1988
Rank	Captain
Commands	21st Field Artillery Group 9th Field Artillery Group 8th Parachutist Field Artillery Group

Jair Messias Bolsonaro (born 21 March 1955) is a Brazilian politician and former army officer who was the 38th president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023. Before becoming president, he served in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, which is part of the country's congress. In 2025, he was sentenced to prison for his role in a plan to illegally stay in power after the 2022 election.

Bolsonaro is known for his conservative views. During his time as president, he focused on changing Brazil's economy and laws. He also changed policies related to the protection of the Amazon rainforest. His response to the COVID-19 pandemic was a subject of much debate in Brazil and around the world.

In the 2022 election, he lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. After he left office, a court blocked him from running for office again until 2030. Later, he was found guilty by the Supreme Federal Court for planning to overturn the election results.

Early Life and Military Career

Jair Messias Bolsonaro was born on 21 March 1955, in Glicério, a town in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. His family has mostly Italian and some German roots. He grew up with his five siblings in different towns in São Paulo.

In 1973, Bolsonaro joined a prep school for the Brazilian Army. He later attended the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras, which is Brazil's main military academy, and graduated in 1977 as an artillery officer. He served in the army for 15 years and reached the rank of captain.

In 1986, he became known after writing an article for a magazine where he complained about the low pay for soldiers. He was arrested for 15 days because of this. Two years later, in 1988, he left the army to start a career in politics.

Political Career

Bolsonaro as a city councilor for Rio de Janeiro in 1990.

From City Councilor to Congressman

Bolsonaro's political career began in 1988 when he was elected as a city councilor in Rio de Janeiro. He served for two years before being elected as a federal deputy to the Chamber of Deputies in 1990. A federal deputy is similar to a congressman in the United States.

He was re-elected six times, serving in Congress for 27 years. During this time, he became known for his strong conservative views and his support for the military. Over the years, he was a member of several different political parties. In 2014, he received the most votes of any congressman in Rio de Janeiro.

2018 Presidential Campaign

In 2018, Bolsonaro ran for president of Brazil. His campaign promised to fight crime, reduce government spending, and support "traditional family values." He chose Antônio Hamilton Mourão, a retired army general, as his vice-presidential running mate.

Bolsonaro's promises to make Brazil safer and fight corruption were very popular with many voters. He became the leading candidate in the polls.

Attack During Campaign

On 6 September 2018, while at a campaign rally in the city of Juiz de Fora, Bolsonaro was attacked and seriously injured and had to have surgery. He spent over three weeks in the hospital recovering.

The attack meant he could not campaign in person for the rest of the election. The man who attacked him was arrested, and police said he acted alone.

Election Victory

Bolsonaro often used a finger-gun gesture during his presidential campaign.

On 7 October 2018, Bolsonaro won the first round of the presidential election with 46% of the vote. Since no candidate got more than 50%, a second round was held on 28 October between him and the second-place candidate, Fernando Haddad.

Bolsonaro won the second round with 55.1% of the vote and was elected the 38th president of Brazil. He took office on 1 January 2019.

Presidency (2019–2023)

Michel Temer with Bolsonaro and his wife Michelle during the inauguration on 1 January 2019.

As president, Bolsonaro focused on Brazil's economy, which was slowly recovering from a crisis. His government also took strong actions against crime, and crime rates fell during his first year.

His cabinet included many former military officers. One of his most famous appointments was Judge Sergio Moro, known for his work on the Operation Car Wash anti-corruption investigation, as his Minister of Justice.

Environment and the Amazon

Bolsonaro's government changed rules that protected the Amazon rainforest. He supported more farming and mining in the region. These policies led to an increase in deforestation, which is the clearing of forests.

Many environmental groups and other countries criticized these policies. They worried about the impact on the global climate and on the Indigenous groups who live in the rainforest.

COVID-19 Pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Bolsonaro's response was widely criticized. He often downplayed the seriousness of the virus, calling it a "little flu." He was against lockdown measures that were meant to slow the spread of the virus.

He also questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and face masks. Brazil became one of the countries with the highest number of deaths from the virus, and many people blamed his government's handling of the crisis.

Foreign Relations

Bolsonaro and U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 meeting in 2019.

During his presidency, Bolsonaro worked to build closer relationships with countries like the United States under President Donald Trump and Israel. He was often called the "Trump of the Tropics" because of his similar political style.

Later in his term, he also worked to improve relations with other major developing countries, such as China and Russia.

Post-Presidency

Bolsonaro visiting the state of Paraná in 2023.

2022 Election and Protests

Bolsonaro ran for re-election in 2022 but lost to former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro did not publicly admit defeat but said he would follow the constitution.

On 8 January 2023, a week after Lula took office, thousands of Bolsonaro's supporters protested in the capital, Brasília. A large group stormed and damaged important government buildings, including the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace. Bolsonaro, who was in the United States at the time, later condemned the actions of the protesters.

Legal Issues and Conviction

Bolsonaro showing his electronic ankle monitor at the National Congress.

After leaving office, Bolsonaro faced several legal challenges. In June 2023, Brazil's top electoral court ruled that he could not run for public office until 2030. The court said he had abused his power as president by making false claims about the voting system.

Investigations also found that Bolsonaro and some of his allies had planned to overturn the 2022 election results to keep him in power. In March 2025, the Supreme Federal Court ordered him to stand trial.

His trial began in May 2025. On 11 September 2025, the court found him guilty of trying to illegally abolish democratic rule and other charges. He was sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison.

Political Views

Bolsonaro supported a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, a South American trade group.

Bolsonaro's political views are described as nationalist and populist. This means he focuses on national pride and appeals directly to ordinary people. His supporters see him as a traditional conservative.

He is a strong opponent of left-wing ideas. He supports the right of citizens to own guns for self-defense. He also defends what he calls "traditional family values." Some of his statements on social issues have caused controversy and public debate in Brazil and around the world.

During his career, he often praised Brazil's past military government, which ruled from 1964 to 1985. This has been a source of criticism from those who remember that period as a dictatorship that violated human rights.

Personal Life

Bolsonaro with his sons, Eduardo and Flávio, in the late 1980s.

Bolsonaro has been married three times and has five children. His three oldest sons, Flávio, Carlos, and Eduardo, are also politicians. He has a fourth son, Renan, and a daughter, Laura, with his current wife, Michelle.

Bolsonaro is a member of the Catholic Church. His wife and some of his children are Evangelical Christians. In 2016, he was baptized in the Jordan River by a pastor from a Pentecostal church.

Electoral History

Presidential

See also

In Spanish: Jair Bolsonaro para niños