ARCHIVE – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Photo: Eraldo Peres/AP/dpa
The right-wing ex-head of state had applied for a six-month tourist visa for the United States, the broadcaster CNN Brasil and the newspaper “Financial Times” reported on Monday (local time), citing lawyers for the 67-year-old.
Bolsonaro lost to left-wing politician Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the runoff election in October and left office at the turn of the year. Two days before the end of his term on New Year’s Eve, Bolsonaro flew to the United States with his family, where he has been ever since. Brazil’s Supreme Court is currently investigating Bolsonaro for his role in the storming of the government district in Brasília in early January.
Bolsonaro entered the USA with an A-1 visa, which is intended for heads of state, among other things. It expired on the day he left office, with a 30-day grace period. The new application was now made on Friday. The US State Department has not yet commented on Bolsonaro’s residency status in the United States.
His presence in Florida had caused criticism, especially after radical Bolsonaro supporters stormed the government district in the Brazilian capital. The Democratic Party in the United States had called for expulsion of the right-wing extremist politician. On January 8, supporters of the ex-military stormed Congress, the seat of government and the Supreme Court in Brasília, causing extensive damage. The scenes were reminiscent of the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 by supporters of President Donald Trump, who was voted out at the time.
Bolsonaro had condemned the attack. Successor Lula accused him of inciting his followers. Bolsonaro denied the allegations. Even before the election, Bolsonaro had repeatedly cast doubt on the electoral system without presenting any evidence. Bolsonaro did not explicitly acknowledge his loss to Lula.
(SDA)