The defeated president has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the elections.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro poses for a selfie during an event at a restaurant at the Dezerland amusement park in Orlando, Florida. —Reuters
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro intends to “remain active in Brazilian politics,” he said Tuesday at a reception in Orlando, Florida.
The far-right leader made the promise to some 400 supporters gathered in the city by Yes Brazil USA, a conservative organization of expatriate Brazilians in the United States.
Bolsonaro was defeated in the last elections by the leftist Luis Inácio Lula da Silva and left Brazil on December 30, two days before the inauguration of his rival.
He has been in the United States ever since and is seeking a six-month visa there, his attorney said Monday.
He has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the elections, and on January 8 hundreds of his supporters stormed the seat of power in Brasilia, looting the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court.
On Tuesday Bolsonaro again questioned his electoral defeat.
“Many people are still shocked by what happened in the elections (…) But we will face this moment and, God willing, we will win together,” he said, calling himself “more popular than ever.”
But he said he was sorry for “what some inconsistent people did” on January 8.
Bolsonaro has come under scrutiny for the unrest, and the new government has ordered an investigation into him.
