The far-right ex-president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, returned to his country this Thursday, March 30, three months after staying in the United States and the assault by his followers on the headquarters of the three powers in Brasilia. Bolsonaro, who does not recognize the victory at the polls of his successor Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ Da Silva, has vowed to lead the opposition to the leftist president.
Received as an idol by some, but booed by others. The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, returned to his country surrounded by hundreds of supporters dressed in yellow and green who chanted slogans in his favor.
“We are here to receive our president. His job will be to fix this mess. Lula’s government is simply doing everything wrong,” said Anderson Clayton, one of his supporters, wrapped in a Brazilian flag.
However, hundreds more gathered at the Brasilia international airport to shout slogans against the former president, who left through a restricted area. Later, where a mass bath did take place was at the headquarters of his political movement, the Liberal Party (PL).
President Bolsonaro meets Michelle and has already gathered political allies in his first engagement with the PL after disembarking.
Meu Deus as I love our President@jairbolsonaro😍 Anyone else? pic.twitter.com/FeGB5psFOY
— Maria P (@damadanoite14) March 30, 2023
The return of the far-right leader takes place three months after staying in Florida, United States, where he arrived just two days before the transfer of command to Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ Da Silva, on January 1, whose electoral victory has not been recognized by Bolsonaro.
Refugee abroad, after arguing that he needed a rest, the former ruler broke with tradition by refusing to hand over the presidential sash to his successor, who won the October elections with the closest result since Brazil’s return to democracy more than of three decades.
A few days after the establishment of the new Government, on January 8th, thousands of ‘Bolsonaristas’ stormed the Plaza de los Tres Poderes in Brasilia, where they destroyed the buildings that house the Congress, the Plenary of the Federal Supreme Court and the Room of the office of the first lady in the Planalto Palace.
It was the worst attack to the heart of Brazilian democracy, a fact that recalled the attack on the United States Capitol in January 2021, when legislators were preparing to ratify the victory of the current president, Joe Biden, and the place was assaulted by thousands of supporters of the far-right Donald Trump.
“I am free of charge, but not retired”
Bolsonaro vows to lead the opposition to leftist President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, raising the challenges for the new government formed after a highly polarized election.
“We will show these personnel (for the Government) that they will be in power for now and for a short time, that they are not going to do what they want with the future of the Nation,” he declared at the PL headquarters in front of dozens of parliamentarians, his first message to the current Executive, after returning to the country.
While in the US, Bolsonaro kept a low profile, though he made several speeches to Brazilian expatriates and conservatives, including at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.
“I am without a mandate, but I am not retired,” the former president told the ‘Jovem Pan’ television channel this week.
His return has been eagerly awaited by the leader of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, who has made clear his desire for Bolsonaro to lead the party and He assured that his political bench already has among its objectives the municipal elections of 2024, in which it aspires to conquer “60% of the mayoralties” in the country.
The legislator had already mentioned that Bolsonaro was losing political capital by staying in Florida and that he hopes his movement will triple its list of elected mayors with the help of the former president, who can draw crowds by igniting anti-Lula sentiment.
“Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and will travel around Brazil preaching the party’s values (…) and helping the growth of the PL,” Costa Neto told Reuters.
Now that Bolsonaro has returned, his first objective will be to generate opposition to the ‘Lula’ administration, ratified Mayra Goulart da Silva, a political scientist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
“Bolsonaro decided to return to Brazil because no clear leader in opposition to the government has emerged,” said the expert, who added that, otherwise, the vacuum could be filled by someone else.
The investigations against Jair Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro’s goal of regaining political prominence may be hampered by a series of investigations against him, including an inquiry into whether or not he incited the January 8 uprising.
Critics of the former head of state also point out that his transfer to the United States occurred to avoid the risks of more than a dozen legal investigations. Among them, the alleged receipt of undeclared diamond gifts by the Saudi authorities.
In addition, Bolsonaro is the subject of inquiries by Brazil’s electoral courts about his actions during last year’s campaign, particularly in relation to his unsubstantiated claims that the electronic voting system is susceptible to “fraud.”
If Bolsonaro is found guilty in any of those cases, he would lose his political rights and would be unable to run in the upcoming elections.
Next year’s municipal elections are an important step in building political momentum for a potential 2026 presidential race. Bolsonaro is expected to lend his support to mayoral candidates from his Liberal Party who, if victorious, can use their leadership to support him.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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