Bolsonaro's Florida stay puts ball in Biden's court after Brasilia riots - Reuters Canada

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The United States has a Jair Bolsonaro problem.

The far-right erstwhile Brazilian president flew to Florida 2 days earlier his word ended connected Jan. 1, having challenged the Oct. 30 predetermination helium mislaid to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. But Bolsonaro near down a convulsive question of election-denying supporters, who connected Sunday stormed Brazil's statesmanlike palace, Congress and Supreme Court.

After watching supporters of erstwhile U.S. person Donald Trump invade the U.S. Capitol 2 years ago, Democratic President Joe Biden is present facing mounting unit to region Bolsonaro from his self-imposed exile successful suburban Orlando.

"Bolsonaro should not beryllium successful Florida," Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro said connected CNN. "The United States should not beryllium a refuge for this authoritarian who has inspired home coercion successful Brazil. He should beryllium sent backmost to Brazil."

Castro said Bolsonaro, a Trump acolyte present based successful the erstwhile president's location state, had "used the Trump playbook to animate home terrorists."

Fellow Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed those views.

"The US indispensable cease granting refuge to Bolsonaro successful Florida," she tweeted connected Sunday. "Nearly 2 years to the time the U.S. Capitol was attacked by fascists, we spot fascist movements overseas effort to bash the aforesaid successful Brazil."

BIG DECISION

Their comments crook up the vigor connected Bolsonaro, and item Washington's large determination astir his future.

Bolsonaro had a fractious narration with Biden, and was already connected weaker crushed backmost location successful Brazil aft losing wide protections from prosecution erstwhile helium stepped down arsenic president. Those probes could pb to his apprehension oregon forestall him from moving for office, Reuters reported past week.

John Feeley, who was the U.S. ambassador to Panama from 2016-2018 erstwhile the Central American federation sought the extradition of its erstwhile President Ricardo Martinelli, said the astir contiguous menace to Bolsonaro would travel if his U.S. visa were revoked.

"The United States - oregon immoderate sovereign federation for that substance - whitethorn region a foreigner, adjacent 1 who entered legally connected a visa, for immoderate reason," Feeley said. "It's a purely sovereign determination for which nary ineligible justification is required."

A U.S. consular official, speaking connected information of anonymity, said Bolsonaro had astir surely entered connected an A-1 visa, which are reserved for heads of state. A 2nd source, a elder erstwhile U.S. diplomat, besides believed it was astir definite that Bolsonaro had entered connected an A-1.

Normally the A-1 is canceled aft the recipient leaves office. But with Bolsonaro having near Brazil and entered the United States earlier his word ended, the authoritative suspected his A-1 is inactive active.

The official, who has acquisition with the cancellation of visas for erstwhile heads of state, said determination is nary acceptable clip bounds connected however agelong idiosyncratic tin enactment successful the United States connected an A-1.

"We're successful uncharted territory," the authoritative said. "Who knows however agelong helium is going to stay?"

A State Department spokesperson said "visa records are confidential nether U.S. law; therefore, we cannot sermon the details of idiosyncratic visa cases."

BASELESS CLAIMS

Bolsonaro whitethorn beryllium successful nary hurry to instrumentality to Brazil, wherever helium is accused of instigating a convulsive predetermination denial question with baseless claims of electoral fraud.

Lula, who had already pledged to spell aft Bolsonaro if needed during his Jan. 1 inauguration speech, connected Sunday blamed his predecessor for the invasion.

"This genocidist ... is encouraging this via societal media from Miami," Lula said. "Everybody knows determination are assorted speeches of the ex-president encouraging this."

In a tweet connected Sunday, Bolsonaro rejected Lula's accusations and said the penetration had crossed the enactment of peaceful protest.

Bolsonaro was already nether probe successful 4 Supreme Court transgression probes earlier stepping down arsenic president.

In the aftermath of Sunday's invasion, ineligible experts said helium whitethorn find himself the people of a Supreme Court probe, led by crusading Justice Alexandre de Moraes, into anti-democratic protests, which has already yielded respective arrests.

If Moraes were to motion an apprehension warrant portion Bolsonaro is successful the United States, the erstwhile president would beryllium technically required to alert backmost to Brazil and manus himself implicit to police. If helium refused, Brazil could contented an Interpol Red Notice to punctual his apprehension by U.S. national agents.

If detained connected U.S. soil, Brazil would past person to formally question his extradition. Bolsonaro would beryllium escaped to entreaty successful the U.S. courts, oregon helium mightiness effort to question asylum, though that offers nary warrant of preventing his eventual instrumentality to Brazil.

Former Panamanian President Martinelli was extradited from the United States backmost to Panama successful 2018, 3 years aft Panama's Supreme Court issued its apprehension warrant.

Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Brad Haynes and Kenneth Maxwell

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