Bolsonaro returns to Brazil, despite the risk of arrest
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro returned to Brazil on Thursday for the first time since far-left rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to the presidency, and right now no fewer than five Supreme Court investigations hang over his head. any of which could send him to prison.
As reported by the AFP, there are "four for alleged crimes committed during his mandate (2019-2022) and one for charges of inciting to revolt the supporters who invaded the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court to protest his electoral defeat." An accusation that recalls those made against Trump.
The former president has kept a low profile as Brazilian and US (Democrat) politicians have called for his removal from the US over visa status issues. He had flown to Florida a few days before Lula took office, staying in a luxury residence outside Orlando provided by a friend, on an A-1 visa issued only to diplomats and heads of state.
Democrats and pro-Lula officials have accused Bolsonaro of inciting riots and political violence from afar, and the White House has repeatedly been asked about extradition.
Ned Price of the State Department denied that extradition was under discussion and explained in early January that: “If the holder of an A visa is no longer engaged in official business on behalf of his government, it is his duty to leave the United States or apply for a change to another immigration status within 30 days”.
Additionally, a group of 41 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to the Biden White House demanding action against the former Brazilian president. “We must not allow Bolsonaro or any other former Brazilian official to take refuge in the United States to escape justice for any crimes committed while in office,” the lawmakers wrote.
Bolsonaro had applied for a six-month visit visa, so while it initially seemed he would extend his stay in the US through legal means, this could be reversed due to mounting political pressure both within than outside the United States.
The former president was greeted by large crowds upon his return:
Don't try to rob us. Patriotas se proliferam!
pic.twitter.com/EzvBvqiXni
— RoBolsonaro3 (@RBolsonaro3) March 30, 2023
He has never formally admitted defeat to Lula and is expected to help strengthen the political opposition in Brazil, but he does not intend to lead it. CNN describes his comeback:
Instead, Bolsonaro said he intends to help his party "as an expert person," collaborating with "anything they want," the former president told CNN Brasil. He added that he will tour the country in preparation for next year's municipal elections.
“We have moved on and now we are preparing for next year's elections,” he recently told CNN Brasil. “There is no need to oppose this government. This government is an opposition in itself”.
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The article Bolsonaro returns to Brazil, despite the risk of arrest comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/bolsonaro-torna-in-brasile-nonostante-il-rischio-di-arresto/ on Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:00:17 +0000.