Garotinho tries to make his candidacy viable amid controversy over Vorcaro's video

He is competing with André Português, former mayor of Miguel Pereira (RJ), for the Republican nomination for the dispute for the position he held between 1999 and 2002. The party is also discussing an alliance with the PL, both nationally around senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), and in Rio de Janeiro, together with deputy Douglas Ruas (PL).

The relationship between the treatment given to the video and the pre-candidacy was exposed by the former governor himself in a video on Tuesday (30), when he said he would not publish the images to avoid a reaction against his candidacy.

"I would cause even more problems. They would try to take my focus today. [...] I am not a professional politician. I am a journalist. But I am a pre-candidate for government. If I show this video, you can be sure that they would do everything to not let me be a candidate as happened in 2018", he said.

"I can't exchange this for showing a video that is under judicial secrecy, decreed by a Supreme Court minister. If I weren't a candidate, I could take that risk. But, at the moment, I can't take that risk."

To Folha, the former governor denied a relationship between the exposure of the information in the video and his dispute within the party. "This case even hurt me. There are a lot of people accusing me of favoring [president] Lula with this business."

Garotinho claims to have had access to a 12-minute video that shows naked women, possibly foreign models, wearing only an astronaut helmet, interacting with "deputies, senators, governors, men who defend the family." He refuses to say how he obtained the images, citing source confidentiality guaranteed to journalists – his original profession.

The video in which the former governor talks about the so-called "astronaut night" was published on his YouTube channel on May 29.

It went viral a month later and was later reposted by former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, already in open conflict with senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), pre-candidate for the Presidency. In the post, she wrote "the truth of Jesus Christ will prevail", which was read as a hint to her stepson.

Flávio denied having participated in the parties. Garotinho, in turn, also said that the senator does not appear in the images he claims to have had access to.

In the political environment of Rio de Janeiro, there are divergent opinions about Garotinho's intentions. One group believes that he actually wants to run for government and is taking advantage of the repercussions of the case to gain strength. Another considers that he is seeking to expand his exposure to seek a place in the Chamber of Deputies.

"Either I'm a candidate for governor, or I'm nothing," said the former governor.

The regional president of the Republicans, Luis Carlos Gomes, stated that the decision will be made based on research that the party will carry out this month.

Arrested five times since 2016, Garotinho had a series of decisions that annulled his cases in recent years. He claims he has no impediment to apply.

In 2018, the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) unanimously rejected his candidacy for government due to his conviction for an intentional act of administrative improbity. In 2022, the candidacy for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies was also denied by the Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro.

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