Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro plans to return to Brazil. He said this Saturday in a speech to a Brazilian community in Boca Raton, Florida, of which CNN Brasil posted images online. Bolsonaro fled to the US state just before the turn of the year before his Social Democratic successor Lula da Silva was sworn in as the new president on January 1.
It is not clear whether Bolsonaro’s statements match his actual plans. Last month it was announced that he has applied for a six-month visa in the United States, as his current visa is about to expire. Bolsonaro, who has now been staying in the US for more than a month, says he would like to return “in the coming weeks”. “There is no place like home. We know Brazil is a fantastic country,” Bolsonaro said in the video.
A quick return to Brazil is not without risks for Bolsonaro. He is accused in his home country of setting up a violent movement that opposed Lula’s appointment. Earlier, Brazil’s Supreme Court voted to open an investigation into Bolsonaro for inciting anti-democratic protests. Last month, this resulted in a storming of government buildings by his supporters in Brasilia. “You can be sure that the majority of the Brazilian people are behind us,” the former president told the public on Saturday.
Bolsonaro’s supporters entered the parliament building, presidential palace and Supreme Court in the capital Brasília on January 8. The group, about 3,000 people, are considered to be among the most radical supporters of the former president. His supporters forced their way into the building by breaking through a police blockade. Then some threw windows of the parliament building. Significant damage was also done to the presidential palace.
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