WATCH: Trump ally declares himself ‘leader of Brazil’ after fleeing to US
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has declared himself the rightful leader of Brazil after arriving in the US, defying a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports amid investigations.
Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump, landed in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday morning aboard a private jet after traveling through Argentina and Ecuador. The senator is suspected of involvement in a money-laundering scheme linked to fraudulent deductions from pension payments and faces a separate investigation into alleged financial misconduct.
Election Claims
The right-wing senator narrowly lost to Lula, a veteran left-wing politician, in Sunday's runoff election despite receiving more votes than his rival in the first round. In a lengthy letter posted on X, Bolsonaro described himself as 'the leader of Brazil' and claimed the election was rigged.
The illegitimate and illegal actions of Lula's former lawyer allowed a mathematical impossibility to become reality, with Lula gaining more than 10 million votes between the first and second rounds.
Legal Challenges
Bolsonaro was referring to Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, who previously represented Lula. Zanin ordered voting extended from 5pm to 7pm on Sunday following complaints from Lula's campaign about public transport disruptions. Bolsonaro provided no evidence of electoral fraud.
Lula won the runoff by approximately 4.4 million votes, while just 34,393 ballots were cast after the original 5pm deadline, according to Brazil's electoral authorities. Bolsonaro rejected the investigations against him and vowed to 'lead the opposition' from abroad, calling his departure 'the classic playbook of any coup d'état'.
Lula condemned Bolsonaro's departure as 'a shameful act,' arguing that 'those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear.' Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election defeat to Lula.
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