Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, said Friday that his father has chosen him to run for president in the 2026 election.

Flávio Bolsonaro, representing his father’s political group, confirmed the decision in a post on X, calling it a “great responsibility” to continue their national project.

Jair Bolsonaro, who was arrested last month and sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup, is barred from running for office until 2030 due to a separate legal case. Flávio visited his father in prison on Tuesday, according to his office.

Flávio Bolsonaro will challenge President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term, as the Liberal Party candidate. Flávio has served as a senator since 2018 after a career as a state legislator in Rio de Janeiro.

The senator has faced allegations of embezzling public funds from his family’s political offices, but the case was dismissed, and he has denied any wrongdoing.

Many political observers had considered Sao Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, a former cabinet member under Jair Bolsonaro, as a likely successor. However, Bolsonaro’s inner circle favored his son as the candidate to carry the far-right coalition into the 2026 race.

Opinion polls indicate that Jair Bolsonaro remains a central figure in Brazil’s polarized political landscape. Analysts say any opposition candidate must secure his explicit support to be competitive against Lula.