HOMECOMING

Bolsonaro Teases His Return to Brazil

The former Brazilian president left for Florida after losing re-election to leftist Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who left his country for the U.S. in December after losing re-election, told supporters on Saturday that he may return to Brazil “in the following weeks.” Speaking in Portuguese at an evangelical church in Florida, Bolsonaro’s comments were met with raucous applause. A return to Brazil by Bolsonaro could usher in a period of renewed political instability, as Bolsonaro repeatedly cast doubt on the integrity of Brazilian democracy after losing by under two points to leftist Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva. His disinformation campaign culminated in an attack by his supporters on the Brazilian capitol on Jan. 8, which bore disturbing similarities to the breach of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. In recent weeks, the “Trump of the Tropics” has set up a new life for himself in Orlando, Florida, with his attorney saying he “would like to take some time off, clear his head, and enjoy being a tourist.”