On this July 24 morning, Maracanasinho is a cauldron of green and gold. Tens of thousands filled this “Little Maracana,” a vast gymnasium adjacent to Rio de Janeiro’s legendary stadium. Clad in the jerseys of Brazil’s national soccer team, the Seleção, crowds turn out to attend a major event: the launch of Jair Bolsonaro’s campaign for re-election in the October 2 presidential election. Ministers, generals, pastors, politicians and far-right activists all responded to this call “People’s Captain”, As he describes himself.

However, on this crucial day, it is not he who explodes the screen, but “she”: Michelle Bolsonaro, the wife of the head of state. She gave a fiery speech wearing a beautiful mint dress with the Brazilian flag draped over her shoulders. « Bolsonaro, an angel of God! He is pure of heart…he is a handsome man! », She exclaims, pointing her finger at the sky. The crowd cheers, applauds, demands more… The First Lady steals the show from her President’s husband.

But who is “Michelle” as the Brazilians call her? This fiery orator, this fiery evangelist, is now in every meeting and every TV spot, speaking with her husband on this furious campaign. A meteoric rise for this 40-year-old woman (twenty-seven years younger than her husband), seems very reserved and shy, but has actually played an important role with the president of the extreme right.

“Grace Kelly in the Tropics”

For a long time, Michelle Bolsonaro was just a vague silhouette in her husband’s shadow. A short haircut, big black eyes, an athletic bearing. She cares about her appearance and likes to wear designer clothes: pink sable with bare shoulders Opening day It earned her the nickname “Grace Kelly of the tropics” for a while. She is a fan of gyms and operating tables. Her plastic surgeon, who implanted her breasts and fixed her pregnancy-induced tummy tuck, is a family friend. We invite him to the weekend barbecue.

At all costs, she tries to soften the image of her husband. He is not afraid to add more when praising his wife’s “virtues” and his own in passing. In 2019, During the massive fire in the AmazonA user posts a photo montage on Facebook comparing the physiques of Brigitte Macron and Michel Bolsonaro, who are twenty-nine years younger than the French president’s wife. “Now understand why Macron is persecuting Bolsonaro? », Legend has fun. Bolsonaro’s comment, reacting live on the social network: “Don’t insult her man. hahahaha »

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