BRASILIA, Dec 30 (Portal) – President Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on Friday, 48 hours before his left-wing rival, President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was due to take office, and in a tearful farewell speech he said have lost”. a battle, but not war.”
Bolsonaro, who has barely spoken since losing the election, has not confirmed where he is going, but plane tracking data suggests he is flying to Florida, where his security personnel are already at the scene.
He has repeatedly said he will not hand over the presidential sash to Lula at Sunday’s inauguration, breaking with Brazil’s democratic tradition.
He could also face legal risks if he stays in Brazil, as his immunity as president will expire if Lula takes office.
Vice President Hamilton Mourao is now acting president, his press office told Portal, confirming Bolsonaro had left the country. But Mourao will not pass the presidential sash to Lula either, a spokesman said, raising the question of who will pass the ceremonial ribbon to the left.
The website FlightAware, which monitors air traffic, showed that the presidential plane left Brasilia for Orlando, Florida just after 2 p.m. local time.
“I’m on my way, back soon,” Bolsonaro was quoted as saying by CNN Brasil. His press office did not respond to a request for comment.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US Embassy in Brasilia referred questions about Bolsonaro’s trip to the Brazilian President’s office.
LAST WORDS
Before the start, Bolsonaro delivered an emotional closing speech on social media, in which he went through the highlights of his tenure, tried to defend his legacy and inspire his supporters to continue the fight against Lula.
Some of his base have refused to accept Lula’s victory because they believe Bolsonaro’s baseless claims that October’s election was stolen. This has contributed to a tense atmosphere in the capital, Brasilia, with unrest and a foiled bomb attack last week.
Bolsonaro described the bombing as a “terrorist act” for which there was no justification. He tried to distance himself from George Washington Sousa, the man who confessed to building the bomb and who told police Bolsonaro’s call to arms inspired him to build an arsenal of weapons and explosives.
“The man had ideas that are not shared by any citizen, but now they classify him as ‘Bolsonarista,'” the president said.
However, Bolsonaro also praised protesters camping out in front of army barracks across the country and called on the military to stage a coup d’état.
“I didn’t encourage anyone to go into confrontation,” he said, adding that his supporters were only looking for “freedom.” He said the protests were “spontaneous,” with no leadership or coordination.
Bolsonaro’s quick exit is a disappointment to many on the right, where his reputation has been tarnished by his post-election silence. His political allies want him to lead the conservative opposition to Lula in a bid to oust him in the next election in 2026.
Some of his die-hard supporters at the entrance to Alvorada Palace, the presidential residence where he lived, called him a “coward” during his speech, according to a Portal witness.
Others felt let down by his departure.
“It feels like my boyfriend left me,” said Deise Casela, a 57-year-old widow, who touched the Brazilian flag that was lowered after Bolsonaro left the residence. “I’m mourning again.”
Reporting by Ricardo Brito, Gabriel Araujo, Ueslei Marcelino and Anthony Boadle; Edited by Rosalba O’Brien
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