A prominent former ally of Jair Bolsonaro has delivered a devastating critique of Brazil's right wing, accusing the Bolsonaro family of turning Rio de Janeiro into a "narcostate" and directly blaming them for the state's governance collapse.
Federal Deputy Otoni de Paula (PSD-RJ), a conservative evangelical politician who once championed Bolsonaro, told BBC Brasil that "whoever broke Rio de Janeiro was the right wing, not the left." In an extraordinary interview, he specifically accused Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's eldest son and a senator from Rio, of being part of a "criminal gang" that has systematically looted the state.
"I have no doubt that Flávio Bolsonaro is part of this gang," Otoni declared. "And former President Jair Messias Bolsonaro is responsible for this gang that destroyed the state of Rio de Janeiro."
In Brazil, as across Latin America's giant, continental scale creates both opportunity and governance challenges. Rio de Janeiro state, with a population of 17 million and an economy larger than many Latin American countries, has become a cautionary tale of how organized crime can infiltrate democratic institutions—particularly when political leaders prioritize loyalty over competence.
Otoni's accusations center on the Bolsonaro family's support for the last two elected governors of Rio: Wilson Witzel, who was impeached in 2021 on corruption charges, and Cláudio Castro, recently convicted by the Electoral Court for abuse of power. Both governors received Bolsonaro endorsements and maintained close ties to the family's political network.
