Flávio Bolsonaro: The heir to Brazil's far-right dynasty

Flávio Bolsonaro may cut a more affable, measured figure than his fiery far-right father, but he has taken pains to insist that the Bolsonaro name, and all it represents, runs through his veins.

At the right angle, the resemblance between Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, and his father, Jair Bolsonaro, is almost jarring.

With fewer rough edges and a jovial smile, Flávio easily inherited his father's powerful conservative base while winning over less ideological voters who are fed up with Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

This gave him a shock lead over Lula after the first round, sending him into Sunday's run-off as a narrow favourite.

"You will see Jair Messias Bolsonaro place the presidential sash on his own son," Flavio told a crowd of over 70,000 supporters in São Paulo on Sunday.

The senator has vowed to free his father, who is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest over a botched coup attempt after he lost a re-election bid to Lula in 2022.

"I may be calmer, more prone to smiling, more relaxed and moderate. But I have the blood of a Bolsonaro in my veins," said the senator, who is often referred to only as Flavio.

Despite his absence, Jair Bolsonaro has loomed large over the campaign, with his image appearing on T-shirts and posters at rallies.

"Come back Bolsonaro!" chanted the crowd in São Paulo on Sunday.

After the first round, Flávio Bolsonaro related that his father was delighted with the results and "very happy to have been heard by the majority of the Brazilian people".

But the candidate said in an interview that a government post for his father was "not on the radar."

"He continues to act as an avatar for his father. I have no doubt who will have the final say should Flávio Bolsonaro be elected," political analyst Thomas Traumann told AFP. 

Funk and fury

Born in Rio de Janeiro state, Flávio Bolsonaro is the eldest of the former president's four sons.

Cementing the family political dynasty, Jair Bolsonaro's second son Carlos was elected to the Senate, as was the former president's wife Michelle. His youngest son Jair Renan was elected to the lower house of Congress, as was the former president's brother.

Flávio Bolsonaro has two daughters with his wife Fernanda, a dentist, and presents himself as a devout family man, saying "God is using me to save Brazil."

He was elected to the Rio de Janeiro state legislature at age 21 and became a senator at age 37. He holds a law degree.

On the campaign trail, Flávio displayed the relaxed Carioca style and language that the city of Rio is known for, dancing to funk music along with young right-wing influencers.

During his only debate with Lula so far, the president described Flávio as a "Carioca hustler."

It emerged during the campaign that the senator was under investigation for alleged corruption and money-laundering linked to the financing of a biopic, Dark Horse, about his father.

When he was a Rio legislator he was accused of taking a portion of his aides' salaries in a kickback scheme, but the case was dismissed.

He has also faced scrutiny over alleged ties to Rio de Janeiro's militia figures. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Who is Flávio, really?

Flávio Bolsonaro's speeches center on attacks on Lula, plans to get tough on crime, creating 500,000 more spots in prisons, and slashing government spending. 

Critics say he has yet to explain how he would achieve this while keeping his promise not to cut social benefits.

Flavio has promised closer ties with the United States, and his rallies have featured giant US flags and blow-up dolls of his ally Donald Trump.

But it can be hard to pin down Flávio Bolsonaro's beliefs.

Before the run-off, after fiercely criticising Lula's proposal to shorten Brazil's workweek, the senator ultimately voted in favour of the measure. He has also taken greater pains than his father to address women's issues.

In a 2017 book, Flávio Bolsonaro presents himself as fiercely anti-leftist and defends many of Jair Bolsonaro's ideas.

Flávio sees Brazil's 1964 military coup as a necessary intervention to prevent a communist takeover and describes military rule, which lasted until 1985, as a "period some like to call a dictatorship."

He also praises Colonel Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra, a convicted torturer, as a "national hero" and "upright, principled man" who helped preserve democracy.

The candidate also framed LGBT-inclusive education policies as an attack on children and families, and defended gun ownership.