Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro vows to ‘remain active’ in politics

On Tuesday, Bolsonaro again questioned his electoral defeat.

Orlando:

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said at a reception in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday that he intends to “remain active in Brazilian politics.”

The far-right leader made a promise to the roughly 400 supporters of Yes Brazil USA, a conservative group of Brazilian expats in the United States, who gathered in the city.

Bolsonaro was defeated in the last election by leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and left Brazil on Dec. 30, two days before his opponent’s inauguration.

He has been in the United States since then and is applying for a six-month visa there, his lawyer said Monday.

He has repeatedly expressed doubts about the integrity of the election, and on January 8, hundreds of his supporters stormed the center of power in Brasilia, looting the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, Bolsonaro again questioned his electoral defeat.

“Many are still in shock at what happened in the election (…) but we will face this moment and, God willing, we will win together,” he said, adding that he is “more than ever more popular”.

But he said he regretted “what some people who were inconsistent did” on Jan. 8.

Bolsonaro came under scrutiny for the unrest and the new government ordered an investigation into him.

He has largely kept a low profile since flying to Florida. He has been living near former Brazilian martial arts champion Jose Aldo’s Disneyland in Orlando and has been photographed eating fried chicken alone at a KFC restaurant.

(Aside from the title, this story is unedited by NDTV staff and published via a syndicated feed.)