Teary Bolsonaro calls loss unfair, condemns violence, flies to Florida - The Washington Post

1 year ago 57

SÃO PAULO — Two days earlier leaving office, ending a tumultuous 4 years arsenic the race-baiting, Amazon-developing, coronavirus-downplaying, vaccine-skeptical person of Latin America’s largest country, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro remained defiant successful a teary farewell code connected Friday, defending his grounds and saying the predetermination that led to his ouster was not impartial, but condemning unit against the result.

Then helium flew to Florida, Brazilian media reported, wherever successful the past helium has met with erstwhile president Donald Trump astatine Mar-a-Lago. He seemingly planned to skip the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva connected Sunday, erstwhile the outgoing person traditionally presents the statesmanlike sash to his successor, a ceremonial intended to reaffirm the country’s young democracy.

Bolsonaro’s remarks, live-streamed for astir an hr Friday morning, were his astir extended since helium mislaid the predetermination successful October. He inactive has not conceded the race, but acknowledged that a caller medication would instrumentality implicit connected Sunday.

“Nothing is lost,” helium told supporters. “Brazil is simply a fantastic country, and Brazil doesn’t extremity connected January first.”

Concern is increasing implicit information astir Lula’s inauguration successful Brasília connected Sunday. Bolsonaro supporters person camped extracurricular service installations since his Oct. 30 decision to telephone for a subject coup to support him successful power. A radical of extremist bolsonaristas set occurrence to buses and tried to invade national constabulary headquarters successful the superior this period aft the apprehension of a Bolsonaro protagonist who was accused of having “expressly summoned equipped radical to forestall the certification of elected” officials.

On Saturday, constabulary said they defused a weaponry planted by a Bolsonaro protagonist successful a tanker motortruck afloat of state adjacent the planetary airdrome successful Brasília. They said the fishy told investigators his program was to provoke chaos to gully subject intervention.

Bolsonaro asked supporters past period not to artifact highways, but said the gatherings extracurricular service installations were morganatic protests. On Friday, helium condemned convulsive demonstrations — and lamented that the Brazilian media had connected the weaponry fishy to him.

“Nothing justifies this attempted violent enactment present successful Brasília airport,” Bolsonaro said. “[Have] Intelligence. Let’s amusement we are antithetic from the different side, that we respect the norms and the Constitution.”

His actions mightiness dependable acquainted to Americans. Trump, a Bolsonaro ally, blamed his 2020 reelection nonaccomplishment connected unfounded claims of fraud, declined to concede, urged his supporters to protestation the effect and skipped the inauguration of President Biden.

Bolsonaro said it had been hard to enactment mostly soundless for 2 months, but refrained from speaking due to the fact that thing helium said “could marque things much tumultuous.”

“I didn’t permission the 4 lines” of the Constitution, helium said, comparing the papers to a shot pitch. “Either we unrecorded successful a ideology oregon we don’t. Nobody wants an adventure.”

Bolsonaro sought to explicate to his much extremist supporters wherefore helium didn’t clasp stronger efforts to enactment successful power. After helium spent years casting uncertainty connected the information of physics voting machines, galore of his supporters person claimed without grounds that the predetermination was stolen.

“Now, galore times, adjacent wrong the 4 lines, you request to person support,” helium said. But helium recovered nary enactment successful the electoral court, the legislature oregon the equipped forces to reverse the predetermination result. He asked his enactment to record a suit alleging imaginable fraud successful balloting, but the electoral tribunal rapidly rejected the claim.

He said helium recognized the suffering of his supporters, but asked them to enactment themselves successful his place. He said they had mislaid a battle, but not the war. As helium spoke, comments expressing vexation began to look connected his Facebook page.

“Unfortunately we are adrift,” 1 idiosyncratic wrote. “So determination was nary fraud??? Hope is over.”

Bolsonaro said helium would pb the absorption to Lula.

“The representation is not good, but that’s not wherefore we are going to propulsion successful the towel and halt opposing,” helium said.

After the valedictory, Brazilian media reported, helium boarded Força Aérea Brasileira — Brazil’s Air Force One — connected a formation to Orlando. The presidency did not corroborate his departure to The Washington Post, but caller filings with the Federal Register person indicated preparations for specified a trip.

Days aft Bolsonaro’s loss, allies met with Trump aides successful the United States to sermon adjacent steps. His lad Eduardo, a Brazilian congressman, met Trump astatine Mar-a-Lago past period successful Palm Beach, Florida.

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