President Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on Friday, two days before his term ends and his hated leftist successor Lula Brasilia takes the throne, several media reported.
Jair Bolsonaro, who never congratulated Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on his victory, was not to attend the new president’s investiture ceremonies in Brasilia on Sunday, as he was required to wear a presidential sash as per protocol. Questioned by AFP, the president declined to confirm the information.
National radio RNR announced that Vice President Hamilton Mourau is acting president and will speak on Saturday evening.
He landed in Orlando
Jair Bolsonaro boarded an air force plane around 2 p.m. (6 p.m. Swiss) after saying goodbye to his supporters live on social media, but without mentioning departure, O Globo media reported, CNN reported.
“I’m on a plane and I’ll be back soon,” the far-right head of state told CNN Brazil. His military plane, identified by the code BRS1, landed in the Florida city of Orlando around 3 a.m. (Swiss) on Saturday, according to specialized site Flightaware. The Presidential Secretariat has authorized the departure of members of the staff responsible for the security of the “future former president” to travel to Miami “from January 1 to 30, 2023,” the official press release said. On Friday.
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For the first time since 1985
It is the first time since 1985 that an outgoing Brazilian president has decided not to wear a presidential robe to his successor. That year, General Joao Figueiredo, the last president of the military dictatorship established in 1964, refused to participate in the investiture ceremony of his successor, José Sarni.
Since the narrow victory of his arch-nemesis Lula on October 30, Jair Bolsonaro has been living almost as a recluse in Brasilia, quietly locking himself away with various symptoms of depression.
According to Creomar de Sousa, founder of consultancy Dharma, Jair Bolsonaro’s departure for the US is “a flight” but also takes on aspects of “denial of reality”. But this is “an attempt to discredit the election result and the next government,” the analyst added.
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Farewell with a few tears
Earlier in the day, the Brazilian president bid farewell to his supporters, spoke on social networks for the first time since his election defeat – he has been ubiquitous for four years – and wiped away some tears. “The world doesn’t stop turning on January 1st. […] We have a great future ahead of us,” Bolsonaro said. “We’re losing battles, but we’re not losing the war.”
He spoke directly to his supporters, who regularly camped outside military camps or headquarters in Brasilia and other cities, to demand military intervention to prevent Lula from taking office.
“I never thought I would make it this far,” cried the outgoing president, declaring that “at least we delayed the collapse of Brazil by four years because of this wretched left-wing ideology.” “I gave it my best,” he continued.
In front of his official residence in the Alvorada Palace, demonstrators following the live broadcast chanted “Coward!”, “Shame!”
He condemns the attempted attack
The president has for the first time condemned an attempt by one of his supporters to detonate a tanker truck near Brasilia airport to ‘create chaos’ ahead of Lula’s inauguration.
“Nothing justifies this attempt at terrorism”, although he did not condemn his supporters camping out in front of the army headquarters, threatening the progress of the investment, which has strengthened security.
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