Star Metro - Brazil presidential hopeful Flavio Bolsonaro praises Bukele

The son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro -- who anointed him his political heir from jail -- Flavio outlined his plans to battle crime in Brazil during a public security event in Rio de Janeiro.

"We must build many, many prisons," said the 44-year-old senator, estimating that the country faces a deficit of 500,000 prison beds.

Flavio has swung into pre-campaign mode, with months still to go before candidates are finalized. He is expected to be the main rival of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, who is seeking a fourth term in office.

Opinion polls show a second-round election would put Lula and Flavio in a technical tie.

Surveys also show that crime and security are the main concerns of Brazilian voters.

Brazil is home to powerful criminal groups, including Comando Vermelho (Red Command) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), which exert control over vast territories and generate huge profits from drug trafficking and other illicit activities.

Flavio Bolsonaro praised Bukele's security model, which has included a harsh crackdown on gangs with mass arrests.

He said he had seen a "radical transformation" on a visit to El Salvador last year.

"In five years, the homicide rate dropped from 128 to 0.8 per 100,000 inhabitants."

The Salvadoran leader, an ally of US President Donald Trump who has called himself "the world's coolest dictator" is extremely popular at home but has come under fire for human rights abuses.

Flavio Bolsonaro -- who has described himself as more moderate than his firebrand father -- is a hardliner on security and backed a similar approach for Brazil.

"No one can stand seeing a 16-year-old delinquent committing atrocities anymore. And I'll go even further: the age of criminal responsibility for heinous crimes -- or for rapists, for example -- should start at 14."

He also said that he supports "chemical castration" for rapists.

Flavio lashed out at Lula -- often accused of being soft on crime -- for opposing the designation of the Red Command and PCC as terrorist organizations.

Lula "is afraid to confront criminal factions," he said. "It is a great disgrace that, when cooperation agreements to combat international criminal organizations are being discussed, Brazil does not participate in forming that broad coalition of nations."

He appeared to be alluding to an alliance of 17 countries created by Trump to combat drug cartels, which does not include Brazil.

A.Jackson--SMC