Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro slams corruption probe into son with homophobic outburst

Brazil's right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro on Friday slammed Rio de Janerio's public prosecutor over a corruption investigation targeting his eldest son, Flavio Bolsonaro. Flavio, who is a federal senator, is facing money laundering charges from his time as a regional lawmaker in Rio. President Jair Bolsonaro said his family became a victim of the media campaign and also launched a homophobic attack on a journalist. 

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Jair Bolsonaro's homophobic jibe

Bolsonaro was interacting with the press at his official residence in the capital city of Brasilia when he frustratingly made a controversial remark at one of the journalists, saying that the reporter has a face of a homosexual but that doesn't mean he is going to accuse him of being a homosexual, even though it's not a crime. Bolsonaro had previously boasted of being a proud homophobic and his recent attack shows that he is worried about the investigation. 

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Experts believe that Jair Bolsonaro's frustration might also indicate the fact that the new poll showed his approval ratings hitting a record low. Bolsonaro was elected as president under the platform of anti-corruption but his own family is now facing multiple corruption charges. All three of Bolsonaro's politically active sons and his wife are facing charges of criminality, the most serious being against his eldest son Flavio.  

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Jair Bolsonaro has also accused his former ally and Rio state governor Wilson Witzel of political vendetta against him and his family. Witzel has shown interest in becoming the next president of Brazil in 2022. After police raided properties belonging to Bolsonaro's son and several of his former advisers, Flavio in a social media post said that it is a way to get to the president through his family. Flavio in the post insisted that he is innocent and has done nothing wrong.

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