Former President Jair Bolsonaro returns to Brazil three months after his defeat

He has been out of the country for three months: Jair Bolsonaro returned to Brazil on the morning of Thursday, March 30, after a long stay in the United States.

Determined to return to politics and defend ultra-conservative values, the far-right ex-president did not go to greet the two hundred fervent supporters who were waiting for him, singing and chanting his name upon his arrival at the airport. Florida to 7 a.m. local time (noon Paris time).

According to images broadcast by CNN Brasil, he went directly to the building of the Liberal Party (PL), under whose banner he was running for re-election. A reunion with his political allies and relatives resulted in a warm embrace.

“Those in power now, and not for long, can’t do what they want about the future of our country.”He said in a speech to PL leaders broadcast on social networks. “We have almost 20% of the seats (in Congress) and we have allies from other parties. We are the majority and we want the best for our country”he added.

Mr Bolsonaro appeared to greet his fans, often dressed in the yellow and green colors of the national flag, before leaving the building very quickly, under the bright sun, to wave to them. For this arrival, military police were mobilized in numbers for fear of being overwhelmed, while the PL made a lot of publicity on social networks for the return of Mr Bolsonaro.

A series of surveys

After the building of the PL, Jair Bolsonaro was supposed to move to his future residence, a highly secure residential complex in the Jardim botânico area of ​​Brazil, with his wife Michelle. He left Brazil on 30 December, still short of his term, boycotting Lula’s investiture ceremony on 1 December.^Eh January. Aged 68 and after a defeat that silenced him by less than 2 million votes, he announced his intention last week. “travel the country” and “Doing Politics”.

The ex-president, the subject of a long series of investigations, finds himself in court proceedings, while complicating the political deal for his leftist successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who faces a difficult succession in less than three months. After taking office. After contracting pneumonia, he had to postpone a state visit to China this week that his advisers hoped would restore his image after a series of controversies and ill-timed statements.

Jair Bolsonaro is in the middle of a dispute over at least 3 million euros worth of jewels he received from Saudi Arabia and smuggled into Brazil. He was summoned by the police to appear on April 5. Since losing his immunity, he has also been the subject of five Supreme Court inquiries into cases that could have sent him to prison.

The latest concerns his role in the Jan. 8 looting of seats of power in Brazil by thousands of his supporters. The other four relate to alleged crimes during his mandate: disinformation about the electronic ballot box system or about Covid. Jair Bolsonaro is also the subject of no fewer than sixteen investigations at the Supreme Electoral Court. He could be sentenced to eight years in office, which would prevent him from running for president in 2026.