The former Brazilian head of state had left his country even before the end of his presidential mandate and is currently staying in the United States.
Source AFP
© PAUL HENNESSY / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP
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« Un fantastic country”, this is how Jair Bolsonaro spoke of Brazil, during a meeting with Brazilians in Boca Raton, Florida. The ex-president has been in the United States since the end of December 2022: he had left Brazil a few days before the official end of his mandate. For the first time, Saturday February 11, he spoke of his return to the country, saying he “intends to return to Brazil in the coming weeks”, according to a video broadcast by the CNN Brasil channel.
“We know that there, really, it’s a fantastic country. I also want to go back to Brazil. I intend to return to Brazil in the coming weeks,” said the former far-right leader.
“We have to deal with the problems”
“We had corruption-free governance. We worked with heart, with honesty. No measure of retaliation, or even persecution, is justified”, he also affirmed, at the time when he is the subject of an investigation by the Supreme Court of his country to determine his role in the attack on the national institutions in Brasilia on January 8 led by bolsonarists.
Six hours after the assaults, Mr. Bolsonaro had finally condemned lip service “the depredations and invasions of public buildings”, while denying any responsibility. His successor on the left, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said he was “certain” on February 2 that the ex-president had “prepared the coup”.
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“We have to face the problems”, also launched Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday evening to his supporters. “Sometimes we have to take risks, it’s worth it. You can be sure that the majority of the Brazilian people are with us. »
An ill-digested defeat
The ex-army captain (67) had taken refuge in the United States on December 30, just before Lula’s inauguration on December 1is January, refusing, as tradition dictates, to hand over the presidential sash to his successor, whose victory he won on the wire last October.
Mr. Bolsonaro kept a low profile during his first weeks in Florida, his only known activities consisting of a trip to the supermarket and another to eat fried chicken alone at a KFC restaurant. Then he came out of his reserve by delivering, before Saturday evening, two speeches to the cheers of loyal supporters. He applied at the end of January for a six-month visa to stay in the United States, according to his lawyer.
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