Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro left his country on Friday, two days before handing over power to his successor Lula da Silva. This is reported by international news agencies. Bolsonaro, who narrowly lost the presidential election to Lula last October, has left for Florida by plane. The president is said to be planning to stay in the United States for a month, but the question is whether and when he will return.
Bolsonaro has not revealed why he left Brazil, but his departure may be linked to multiple lawsuits pending against him. These include the spread of fake news, his controversial corona policy and possible corruption in the purchase of vaccines. As of January 1, Bolsonaro no longer enjoys immunity. He already announced in December that he would not be present at the transfer of power on January 1. Normally, the outgoing president in Brazil hangs the presidential sash around the shoulders of his successor.
Just before his departure from the capital Brasilia, Bolsonaro gave a speech via social media, after he had not been heard from for a long time. In the speech he said, among other things, that he had lost “the battle, but not the war”. In doing so, he re-established himself as the leader of the right, just as he did after his short speech just after the presidential election. Bolsonaro never acknowledged his loss and so far has not congratulated successor Lula on his victory.
Also read this article about how Bolsonaro remains a power factor in Brazil
Full of speculation
Bolsonaro, who leaves his country in the hands of his vice president and former general Hamilton Mourão, denied on Wednesday in conversation with CNN Brasil that he had travel plans. That did not stop the Brazilian population from speculating about what the president is up to, partly because of his words during a meeting earlier this year. “I have three options for my future: be arrested, killed or be victorious.”
Meanwhile, his radical supporters continue to cause tension and unrest in the country, including a foiled bomb attack in Brasilia last week. Bolsonaro distanced himself from the incident in his speech and said he had not contributed to it in any way. The suspect previously confessed that words from the president had inspired him to commit an attack.