Michelle Bolsonaro

Michelle de Paula Firmo Reinaldo Bolsonaro (born 22 March 1982)[1][2] is the current First Lady of Brazil. She is the third wife of the retired captain and 38th President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro.[3]

Michelle Bolsonaro
First Lady of Brazil
Assumed role
1 January 2019
PresidentJair Bolsonaro
Preceded byMarcela Temer
Personal details
Born
Michelle de Paula Firmo Reinaldo

(1982-03-22) 22 March 1982
Ceilândia, Federal District, Brazil
Spouse(s)
(
m. 2007)
Children2
ResidencePalacio da Alvorada

Biography

Family and education

Born and raised in Ceilândia, administrative region of the Federal District, Michelle de Paula is daughter of Maria das Graças Firmo Ferreira and Vicente de Paulo Reinaldo. Her father, born in Crateús, Ceará, is a retired bus driver, whose nickname, "Paulo Negão", became nationally known in Jair Bolsonaro speeches to defend himself from accusations of racism.[4][5] She has a younger stepbrother, Diego Torres Reinaldo (b. 1988), who is a member of the Brazilian Air Force. Michelle's father and stepmother Maísa are owners of an event confection and production small business.[6]

She has a high school diploma attained through adult education. She enrolled in university as a pharmacy student, but never took classes. She worked as a salesperson in a clothing store and as supermarket cashier before working as parliamentary secretary.

Chamber and relationship with Bolsonaro

Michelle de Paula worked as an employee of the Chamber of Deputies between 2006 and 2008. She started in the parliamentary office of Deputy Vanderlei Assis (PP-SP), whose term the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into the "Bloodsuckers Scandal" recommended be annulled on August 2006.[7] Later, she became secretary to Deputy Marco Aurélio Ubiali (PSB-SP).

Michelle and Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia.

On June 2007, Michelle was nominated for the same position in the Progressive Party (PP) leadership, staying until September. In this period, she had the first contact with her future husband, then Federal Deputy from the party, and this later became a date. At the time, she was 25 and he was 52. As she recorded later: "Everything began when we first saw [each other], in Jair's room. It didn't take too long for us to be certain that we wanted to live a life together".

When Michelle met Jair Bolsonaro, he was already separated from his former spouse, Ana Cristina Valle, with whom he kept a union for 16 years. This was dissolved after a litigious lawsuit started in 2008.

In 18 September 2007, Michelle became parliamentary secretary of Bolsonaro. Only 9 days later, they signed a prenuptial agreement in the 1st Notary Public of Brasília. After around 6 months of relationship, they registered their civil union in November 2007, when she added the last name Bolsonaro to hers. Michelle became, officially, Bolsonaro's third wife - the first had been Rogéria Bolsonaro.

As Bolsonaro's fiancée and wife, Bolsonaro worked in his cabinet for 1 year and 6 months, period when she was promoted and had her wage raised gradually. Before joining Bolsonaro's office, she was classified in the CNE-13 (Special Nature Post), with a salary of R$2.900. With her hiring in her future husband's office, she was promoted to SP26s (Parliamentary Secretary), with a salary of R$6,010.00. 7 months later, newly married, Bolsonaro was promoted by Bolsonaro to SP28s, receiving a salary of R$8,040.00.

In 29 August 2008, the Supreme Federal Court prohibited the hiring of relatives as far as the third degree in public administration. This measure affected Mrs. Bolsonaro's job, as the wife of a member of Parliament. Her consequent dismissal occurred on 3 November 2008, with administrative effect counted since 31 October of that year.

Personal life

Michelle, who prefers to be called by her composite name, Michelle de Paula,[8] has two daughters: Letícia Aguiar, from a previous relationship, and Laura, from her marriage with Jair Bolsonaro.[3]

In 2011, Bolsonaro gave birth to the couple's daughter, Laura. Her wedding with Bolsonaro, on 21 March 2013, occurred in a party house in Alto da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro. At the request of the bride herself, the 150 guest-ceremony was conducted by pastor Silas Malafaia, one of the leader of Assembly of God Victory in Christ (Advec), which Bolsonaro was an active member and attendant until 2016.

The Bolsonaro family lives in a gated community house in Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro. In this neighborhood, Bolsonaro attends and helps Attitude Baptist Church since she left Advec in 2016, after a temporary misunderstanding between Malafaia and Jair Bolsonaro in the electoral campaign. Despite being a Catholic, Bolsonaro attended the same church with his wife.

On 30 July 2020, Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19, days after her husband said he had recovered from the disease.[9]

Bolsonaro's campaign

During great part of the Bolsonaro's electoral campaign, Bolsonaro didn't involve herself actively in rallies supporting her husband candidacy, keeping herself discreet and reserved to the media coverage, but following her husband's path in the backstage.

Michelle Bolsonaro during Independence Day parade in Brasilia on 7 September 2019

Her first public appearance in an electoral ad happened in 25 October 2018, three days before the second round of the 2018 election between Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad. In the ad, she praised her husband as a "wonderful human being" and "playful". After the attack against Bolsonaro in Juiz de Fora, in 6 September 2018, Bolsonaro followed her husband during his surgical recovery in Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital, in São Paulo.

Projects as First Lady

After the disclosure of the results of the second round of the presidential election, at the night of 28 October 2018, Jair Bolsonaro finished his victory speech thanking for Michelle Bolsonaro's support, for provided "peace, security and strength" for him to reach his objective, pointing out that he couldn't make it without her. He also offered her a minute to talk, but she refused.[10]

The same night of 28 October, the first interview of Bolsonaro for RecordTV was broadcast, made exclusively by journalist Eduardo Ribeiro, In it, the new First Lady affirmed she wants to "make the difference" in favour of the country, and that she will keep doing her job helping disabled people and demonstrated her will to "do missions in the Northeast sertão".[11][12]

Bolsonaro has highlighted social causes related to people with disabilities, with visibility in rare diseases, digital inclusion, awareness of autism, inclusion of sign language in schools and other social projects.

Michelle became the first Brazilian first lady to speak at the Palácio do Planalto parliamentary office during a presidential inauguration. She, who is part of the Ministry of the Deaf and Dumb of the Baptist Church, where she acted as an interpreter of Libras in services, broke the protocol by speaking in Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS).

In the traditional statement by the President of the Republic on Christmas Eve, on the night of December 24, 2019, for the first time in history, a First Lady speaks to the nation alongside the President on national radio and television. Michelle, who wore a red shirt with the name "Jesus", wished a blessed Christmas for all Brazilians and highlighted that "together, with love and dedication, we can build a more just, more inclusive and more supportive Brazil for all ".

References
  1. "Esposa de Bolsonaro é 25 anos mais nova e tem estilo discreto; conheça". Notícias ao Minuto Brasil. 28 October 2018.
  2. "Michelle Bolsonaro". Extra. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  3. Teixeira, Patricia (28 October 2018). "A mulher dos bastidores: saiba quem é Michelle Bolsonaro, a nova primeira-dama e terceira esposa de Bolsonaro" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  4. Borges, Waleska (9 October 2018). "Deputado federal mais votado no Rio foi apadrinhado por Bolsonaro" (in Portuguese). Extra. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  5. Linhares, Juliana (11 April 2018). "A bela da fera, conheça a mulher de Jair Bolsonaro" (in Portuguese). Folha de S. Paulo. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  6. "Vicenter De Paulo Reinaldo" (in Portuguese). Consulta Sócio. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  7. Corrêa, Hudson; Bragon, Ranier (3 June 2006). "Denúncia liga sanguessugas a parlamentares" (in Portuguese). Folha de S. Paulo. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  8. Costa, Liana (13 February 2018). "Esposa de Bolsonaro, ceilandense pode ser primeira-dama do Brasil" (in Portuguese). Metrópoles. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  9. "Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil's First Lady, Tests Positive For Coronavirus". NPR.org.
  10. "Futura primeira-dama, Michelle Bolsonaro é filha de cearense de Crateús" (in Portuguese). O Povo. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  11. Guiame (29 October 2018). "Nova primeira-dama, Michelle Bolsonaro quer fazer missões e projetos sociais". Guiame. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  12. Notícia, J. M. (29 October 2018). "Michelle Bolsonaro fala sobre sonho de fazer missões no Nordeste". JM NOTÍCIA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Marcela Temer		 First Lady of Brazil
2019–present		 Incumbent
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