EPA
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
Brazilian President Bolsonaro left his country two days before the inauguration of his successor Lula da Silva. He did not disclose where he was going, but flight logs indicate a landing in Orlando, Florida, where his security personnel have already arrived.
In the short period that Brazil does not have a head of state, Vice President Antônio Hamilton Martins Mourão takes over as president. Right-wing populist Bolsonaro had already announced earlier this month that he would not be present at the January 1 transfer of power.
In doing so, he breaks with the custom that the president personally transfers power by handing the presidential sash to his successor.
Shortly before his departure from the capital Brasilia, Bolsonaro gave an emotional speech, in which he looked back on his presidency and called on his supporters to continue the fight against the social democrat Lula. He said that he “lost the battle, but not the war”.
Immunity expires
Bolsonaro may not leave Brazil just to avoid the change of power. His presidential immunity expires after the handover and he could face lawsuits over several cases for which he could not be prosecuted during his tenure.
For example, he is accused of causing thousands more deaths due to his nonchalant approach to the coronavirus crisis. He also interfered in the corruption investigation against his children.
Found explosive
Part of Bolsonaro’s supporters refuse to accept their leader’s electoral defeat. This has recently led to riots. Last week, an explosive device was found in a fuel truck near the Brasilia airport.
An arrested man, a Bolsonaro supporter, confessed to planning an attack. Bolsonaro dismissed the failed attack as an “act of terror” without apology and distanced himself from the suspect.
