Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro spoke to a crowd of supporters on Saturday and signaled his intention to return home to Brazil in the coming weeks. Bolsonaro has been staying in a gated community near Orlando since Dec. 31. His extended visit has sparked outrage among many U.S. progressives.
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“I also want to return to Brazil. I intend to return to Brazil in the coming weeks.”
Bolsonaro spoke during an event at an evangelical church in Boca Raton. The church was packed with supporters of the former president. The event was organized by Yes Brazil USA, a conservative organization of Brazilian ex-pats living in the United States.
During his address, Bolsonaro talked about his administration’s accomplishments and told his supporters to stay optimistic.
“We created a government without corruption. We work from the heart, with honesty. And we have to face the problems,” While Bolsonaro has been away from Brazil for more than a month, he insisted that his work was not over. “We have to take risks sometimes. It is worth it. You can be sure the majority of the Brazilian people are with us.”
Bolsonaro arrived in the United States after his opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was declared winner in the 2022 Brazilian presidential election. Bolsonaro and his supporters have cast doubt on the Brazilian election and have insisted that the election was stolen.
Since then, Bolsonaro had kept a relatively low profile in the Florida suburbs. He was sometimes spotted wandering the town, shopping at Publix, and dining alone at KFC. Outside his temporary home, he would meet and mingle with supporters, taking photos and answering their questions. He was briefly hospitalized after suffering abdominal pains relating to a 2018 assassination attempt.
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Since late January, Bolsonaro has been ramping up his public appearances, vowing a return to politics. At a Jan. 31 event also hosted by Yes Brazil USA, Bolsonaro addressed a crowd of over 400 supporters. “Many people are still shaken by what happened in the elections… But we will face this moment, and, God willing, we will win together.” During the event, Bolsonaro referred to himself as “more popular than ever.”
Bolsonaro rallied his supporters this weekend at Pastor Mark Boykin’s Evangelical Church of All Nations.
Jamais conseguirão apagar o que @jairbolsonaro fez pelo Brasil,pelo seu povo.
Foi ele que despertou a consciência do brasileiro diante a falência moral da sociedade e a total inversão de valores. Ele despertou milhões de brasileiros
Obrigada por tudo Bonarinho. Até breve 🇧🇷❤️ pic.twitter.com/k4pFhUTkXo
— Jakelyne Loiola (@Jakelyneloiola_) February 12, 2023
O maior líder político que o Brasil já teve!@jairbolsonaro
O homem que despertou o brasileiro para uma nova modalidade política .
Deus, Pátria, Família e liberdade 🗽
O mito! pic.twitter.com/2tL7PVlrtN— A TROMBETA (@ATROMBETA3) February 12, 2023
🥹 Emocionante ,
Bolsonaro 🇧🇷🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/XsRcjcdCVg— 💚Alice no País das barbaridades 💛 (@Re_VireADireita) February 12, 2023
“Our generation is a part of Brazilian history, a forgotten Brazil, a stolen Brazil, a sacked Brazil,” he said, adding that his regime achieved renewed “admiration” for the flag. “We started to respect again the traditional family, the respect for private property, of love to our neighbor.” `Bolsonaro told his supporters in Boca Raton as reported by Yahoo.
Supporters of Bolsonaro are, however, concerned that the former president may be arrested upon his return to Brazil. After violent riots rocked the Brazilian capital on January 8, the country’s Supreme Court vowed to investigate Bolsonaro. Brazilian President Lula da Silva has accused Bolsonaro of attempting to orchestrate a “coup.”
Bolsonaro’s visit to the United States has not been without controversy either. Progressive lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, NY, and Joaquin Castro, TX, have called on the White House to extradite the former president, despite no formal charges being made against him by the Brazilian government. Bolsonaro’s opponent, Lula, also visited the White House on Friday.
Asked about when his father plans to return to Brazil, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro told reporters, “It could be tomorrow; it could be in six months. He might never return.” Representatives for Jair Bolsonaro said he has filed for a tourist visa to extend his stay in the United States.
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Bolsonaro is scheduled to headline a Miami event with conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday. He is expected to speak and answer supporters’ questions.
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