BRASÍLIA, Dec 6, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Flavio Bolsonaro said Friday his father, Brazil's jailed ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, has chosen him to lead the country's powerful conservative movement, shaking up the 2026 election race.

The 44-year-old senator declared on social media that he will carry forward the political legacy that reshaped Brazilian politics.

His announcement makes him an instant contender for the presidency.

Jair Bolsonaro, 70, is unlikely to run after being sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup and banned from public office. He is appealing and seeking a legislative pardon.

The former president also faces serious health issues, including complications from a 2018 stabbing and a recent skin cancer diagnosis.

Friday's announcement signals the passing of a political torch in South America's largest country.

Flavio is "a balanced politician, experienced and prepared for dialogue," Luciano Zucco, head of the Liberal Party in the lower house, told AFP.

To lead Brazil, Flavio Bolsonaro may have to beat fellow conservative contenders as well as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the 80-year-old leftist who has signalled he may seek a fourth term.

"It is with a great sense of responsibility that I confirm the decision of Jair Messias Bolsonaro to entrust me with the mission of continuing our national project," Flavio wrote on X.

"I will not stand idle while families lose hope and democracy is crumbling," he said, accompanying the post with an image of him kissing his father on the head.

Flavio is a senator for Rio de Janeiro and is seen as hard line on law-and-order issues. He has urged the United States to bomb boats in Rio de Janeiro to fight drug trafficking.

Jair Bolsonaro's wife Michelle and his other son Eduardo, a lawmaker who has close ties to Donald Trump's family, had been tipped as possible political successors.

Two other sons, Carlos and Jair Renan, are city councilors.

"Flavio told me our captain (Jair Bolsonaro) confirmed his pre-candidacy. If Bolsonaro said so, that's all there is to it!" wrote Liberal Party president Valdemar Costa Neto.

Flavio Bolsonaro remained a loyal supporter of his father, especially during the trial.

But markets appear to have been betting that a more moderate conservative candidate would emerge -- with the country's major stock index sinking four percent on the news.

Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas had been touted as one market-friendly option.

However, de Freitas, a Bolsonaro ally, has always denied seeking the presidency.