Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro left the country on Friday (December 30th) for the United States, two days before the end of his term and the enthronement of his hated, left-wing successor, Lula. reported several media.
Mr. Bolsonaro, who has never congratulated Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for his victory, should therefore not be present on Sunday at the investiture ceremonies in Brasilia of the new president, whom he should have girded with the presidential sash according to the protocol. The Presidency did not wish to confirm this information. Vice President Hamilton Mourao is acting President and will speak on Saturday evening, national radio RNR announced.
After saying goodbye to his supporters live on social media, but without mentioning a departure, Mr. Bolsonaro boarded an air force plane at around 2 p.m. (6 p.m. in Paris), media reported. O GloboCNN Brazil, Estadao and the news website UOL. “I’m in flight, I’ll be back soon”said the head of state to the channel CNN Brasil.
Authorization to leave the territory of 1er to January 30
A procession of presidential cars left the compound of the official residence of Alvorada, in Brasilia, noted a photographer from Agence France-Presse, without being able to confirm that Mr. Bolsonaro was in one cars. The general secretariat of the presidency authorized the departure from the territory of members of the staff responsible for the security of the “future ex-president” for a trip to Miami “from 1er as of January 30, 2023 »according to Diario Oficial da Uniao (“Official Journal”) of Friday.
It should be the first time since 1985 that an outgoing Brazilian president decides not to gird his successor with the presidential sash. That year, the last president of the military dictatorship established in 1964, General Joao Figueiredo, refused to participate in the investiture ceremony of his successor, José Sarney.
Since the narrow victory of Lula, his sworn enemy, on October 30, Jair Bolsonaro has lived almost as a recluse in Brasilia and has locked himself in silence. For Creomar de Souza, founder of the consulting firm Dharma, the departure of Bolsonaro to the United States takes on the aspects “of a leak” but also of“a denial of reality”. It is moreover “an attempt to delegitimize the outcome [de l’élection] and the next government”adds the analyst.
“I gave the best of myself”
Earlier in the day, the Brazilian president said goodbye to his supporters, speaking out for the first time since his election defeat on social media and wiping away some tears. “The world won’t stop spinning the 1er January. (…) We have a great future ahead of us.”said Mr. Bolsonaro. “We lose battles, but we do not lose the war. » He spoke directly to his followers who continue to camp outside army barracks or headquarters in Brasilia and other cities to demand military intervention to prevent Lula from taking office.
“I never thought I would get this far”said the outgoing president, crying, before declaring: “At least we delayed for four years the collapse of Brazil with this evil leftist ideology. “I gave the best of myself”continued Jair Bolsonaro, whose mandate has a very bad record, according to most analysts.
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Outside his official Alvorada Palace residence, protesters following the live transmission shouted ” cowardly ! », ” shame ! ». The president has for the first time condemned an attempted attack by one of his supporters who planted an explosive device in a tanker truck near Brasilia airport to “creating chaos” before Lula’s enthronement. “Nothing justifies this attempt at terrorism”he said, without however condemning the encampments of his supporters in front of army headquarters, which pose a threat to the progress of the investiture for which security has been reinforced.