Bolsonaro travels the US before Lula takes over the presidency of Brazil

President Jair Bolsonaro departed from Brazil headed for the United States on Friday, 48 hours before his left-wing rival, President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, takes office, saying he had “lost a battle but not the war.”

Bolsonarowho has barely spoken in public since losing the election, has not confirmed where he is going, but data from the plane suggests he is traveling to Florida, where his security personnel are already based.

He has repeatedly said that he does not want to hand over the presidential sash to Lula at the inauguration on Sunday.

Bolsonaro may face legal trouble for staying in Brazil, as his presidential immunity will expire when Lula takes office.

the vice president Hamilton Mourao he is now interim president, his press officer told Reuters, confirming that Bolsonaro had left the country.

“I’m in flight, I’ll be back soon,” Bolsonaro said, according to CNN Brazil. His press office did not respond to a request for comment.

Before takeoff, Bolsonaro He delivered a last teary-eyed speech on social media in which he reviewed the highlights of his tenure, sought to uphold his legacy and tried to inspire his supporters to continue to oppose Lula.

Part of his followers have refused to accept the victory of Lula and they have believed Bolsonaro’s unsubstantiated claims that the October election was a fraud. This has contributed to a tense atmosphere in Brasilia, where there have been riots and a foiled attack last week.

Bolsonaro it called the bombing plot a “terrorist act” for which there was no justification. He sought to distance himself from George Washington de Oliveira Sousa, the man who confessed to making the bomb.

The rapid departure of Bolsonaro he is a disappointment to many on the right, where his reputation has suffered from his post-election silence. His political associates want him to lead the conservative opposition against Lula with a view to ousting him in the upcoming 2026 elections.

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