Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday evening that he plans to return to Brazil “in the coming weeks”.
“I also want to go back to Brazil. I plan to return in the coming weeks”Bolsonaro said during a meeting with Brazilian supporters in Boca Raton, Florida, according to a video broadcast by CNN Brasil.
Bolsonaro traveled to the United States in late December, days before supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia in an attempt to overturn Lula da Silva’s election victory.
“We had a government without corruption. We worked with our hearts, with honesty. No retaliation or prosecution is justified”he said.
Bolsonaro, 67, is being investigated in Brazil for suspected role in the attack on national institutions on January 8. Six hours after a mob invaded the Planalto Palace, Congress and the Federal Supreme Court, the former president denied any responsibility.
Lula da Silva said on February 2 that he was “certain” that the former president had “prepared the coup”.
The incident in Brasilia has been compared by supporters of former US President Donald Trump to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
On Saturday, Bolsonaro told his supporters in Florida to “face the problems.” “Sometimes we have to take risks, it’s worth it. You can be sure that most of the Brazilians are with us,” he said.
The former army captain arrived in the United States on Dec. 30, shortly before Lula’s inauguration on Jan. 1.
Bolsonaro kept a low profile during his first few weeks in Florida – his only known outings included a trip to a grocery store and a KFC restaurant to eat fried chicken on his own.
But he has since made public appearances, having delivered two speeches before Saturday to the delight of his supporters.
Bolsonaro had already told CNN Brasil that he planned to return to Brazil at the end of January and was considering postponing his departure for health reasons.
But in late January, Bolsonaro’s lawyer said he had applied for a six-month visa to stay in the United States. One of his sons, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, hinted that the former president had no date to return to Brazil. “It could be tomorrow, or six months from now, or he may never come back,” he said.
Source: DN
