Party conventions are typically non-events in Brazil. Ignored by the public, they do little beyond rubber-stamp decisions made by party bosses behind closed doors.But Saturday’s gathering in São Paulo of the Liberal Party to anoint Flávio Bolsonaro as its candidate in October’s presidential election will be closely watched.This is because of a bitter feud raging within Brazil’s leading far-right family that has pitted Flávio (45) against his stepmother Michelle Bolsonaro (44), his party’s candidate for a senate seat in the capital Brasília.The strife became public when Michelle released a video last month accusing him and his brothers of co-ordinating attacks and spreading lies against her. “They treat me like I’m an idiot,” she said in a recording that plunged Brazil’s far right into crisis, little more than three months before voting starts. The video was ostensibly prompted by a dispute over campaign strategy.Brazil's former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro released a video last month accusing her stepson and his brothers of co-ordinating attacks and spreading lies against her. Photograph: Douglas Magno/AFP/Getty Images But it came against a background of calls for Flávio to be replaced as the right’s presidential candidate by Michelle after he was forced to admit to receiving millions of euro from the fraudster at the heart of Brazil’s biggest ever financial scandal.Flávio had consistently denied any relationship with Daniel Vorcaro, the owner of Banco Master bank, which he ran like a Ponzi scheme until it imploded – leaving a multibillion euro hole in Brazil’s financial system while implicating figures across the political spectrum in the scandal.But he was finally forced to do so after investigative website Intercept Brasil released a voice recording of him asking for tens of millions of euro from the banker, who at the time was already bankrupt, under investigation and less than 24 hours away from an attempt to flee the country. In the recording Flávio referred to Vorcaro as “my brother”, promising: “I am and always will be with you.”[ Bolsonaro jailing marks end to Brazil’s notorious leniency with military menOpens in new window ]Flávio has since claimed the funds from Master were destined for a feature film about his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving 27 years for a failed coup attempt after he lost his bid for re-election four years ago. Investigators are still looking into where the money went, while Flávio is yet to carry through on a pledge to demonstrate it was spent on the film.The revelations caused panic on Brazil’s right. With his poll numbers falling, opposition leaders worried Flávio would sink their chances of outing leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva before the race even started, especially as the campaigns of other right-wing candidates have failed to ignite.Flávio Bolsonaro is expected to secure his party's nomination to contest Brazil's general election this weekend. Photograph: Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images Given the Bolsonaro family’s insistence on one of its members being the right’s standard-bearer, some politicians – including a former minister in her husband Jair’s administration – publicly called for Michelle to replace Flávio on the ticket. They were joined by several pastors from evangelical churches that make up the backbone of the family’s support. The calls reflect the former first lady’s emerging political clout, especially among evangelical Christians – of which she is one.Given the religious movement’s growing political power in Brazil, Michelle is increasingly being talked of as a future presidential candidate.To prevent her usurping him this year, Flávio turned to his father Jair, who is serving his sentence under house arrest due to poor health. Jair provided him with a “Letter to Brazilians” in which he described his son as the “best option” for president. “It is time to roll up our sleeves and put aside our differences,” he wrote.Former president Jair Bolsonaro accompanied by his wife Michelle at an event in 2024. Photograph: Andre Penner/AP But the missive backfired as it only stoked accusations that Flávio is merely a cut-out for his jailed father. The letter was also declared a violation of the terms of the former president’s house arrest. Supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes – himself caught up in the Master scandal – prohibited Flávio from visiting his father for 90 days, a period that coincides with the election campaign.The letter also seems to have failed to enforce even a semblance of familial harmony at Saturday’s convention. Flávio will be there, joined by his special guest, Argentina’s libertarian president Javier Milei. Michelle is not expected to attend, despite arguably being the party’s biggest star.[ Why is Latin America shifting hard right?Opens in new window ]Her likely no-show follows another attack on her this week, this time by Eduardo Bolsonaro, another of her stepsons, who again criticised the video, calling it “immaturity on Michelle’s part”. Eduardo will also miss the convention as he is living in exile in the United States.Last month he was convicted of attempted coercion of Brazil’s justice system during his father’s coup trial and sentenced to four years and two months in prison. On Monday he announced the Trump administration had issued him with a Green Card.The disarray in the Bolsonaro campaign is hampering its ability to build the alliances at state level necessary to win a national race, as potential allies look at the infighting and president Lula’s clear lead in polls and hesitate to throw their lot in with them. The 80-year-old incumbent faces his own challenges, particularly stubbornly high disapproval ratings so close to voting. But his convention two weeks from now is on course to be a happier and more unified affair than that of his chief rival.[ Lula’s last lap: Brazil enters a fraught election yearOpens in new window ]