By Fernando Cardoso
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, currently on self-imposed exile in the United States after losing his re-election bid last year, has presented his latest project: merch.
With its modest selection of wooden chopping boards, beer glasses and coffee cups, the newly launched Bolsonaro Store website offers fans of the pugnacious former president the opportunity to invest in his political future and take home a Bolsonaro-branded commemorative keepsake.
“Our dream is more alive than ever,” reads a wooden desk statuette that features Bolsonaro’s silhouette, available for 109.9 reais ($21), which can also parceled into 12 payments of 11.03 reais.
Bolsonaro’s move into merch is his latest attempt to channel the success of his idol, former U.S. President Donald Trump, at monetizing the support of his base.
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” baseball cap became a symbol of his nationalist movement and a valuable revenue stream for the Trump empire. The so-called MAGA hat currently retails for $50 on the Trump Store website.
Announcing the new project on Instagram, the former president’s son, Eduardo, said the idea was not just a business, but also to “keep alive in the memory everything that was done during the Bolsonaro presidency”.
He said the “most charming” product on the site was a calendar, featuring iconic photos of Bolsonaro from the last four years. The wall calendar, which retails at 59.90 reais, has already been discounted from its original price of 69.90.
Bolsonaro has been living in Florida since before the end of his mandate, which finished on Jan. 1. He has refused to concede defeat, and faces mounting legal jeopardy in Brazil in various criminal and electoral probes. He has said he plans to return to Brazil imminently, but has yet to set a date.
($1 = 5.2035 reais)
(Writing by Gabriel Stargardter, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
