Brazil: Bolsonaro flees to the US
Flávio Bolsonaro has fled to the US following his defeat in the Brazilian presidential election. The defeated right-wing candidate has denounced electoral fraud and political persecution and described himself as "Brazil's leader" on social media platform X. Critics accuse him of evading justice. Commentators seek explanations.
Thank goodness this man isn't president
Bolsonaro would have been unworthy of the office of president, Tages-Anzeiger stresses:
“So now he's gone. Flávio Bolsonaro's spectacular flight to the US shows that it's a good thing the Brazilians didn't elect this man as president. On Monday he was still lying shamelessly, saying that of course he would remain in Brazil and represent the interests of his voters. ... Equally undignified is his attempt to sow doubts about the legitimacy of the election. Neither the extended opening hours of polling stations nor Lula's socio-political decisions as president had an undue influence on the vote. The fact that Bolsonaro is now mumbling about 'bought votes' proves that this man, like his father, has no qualms about undermining democracy for his own gain.”
Criminal here, victim there
Two interpretations clash regarding Bolsonaro's flight, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung notes:
“Is Flávio Bolsonaro a criminal and a coward who is evading just punishment by fleeing to the US? Or is the failed presidential candidate of the Brazilian right a victim of his left-wing opponents, who are in cahoots with the judiciary? A victim who had no choice but to seek safety from an unjust prosecution with a predictable outcome? Both interpretations have staunch supporters in Brazil – depending on which side of the polarised political spectrum they stand on. A definitive assessment of the events is not possible right now: the whole affair is far too murky.”
Is a coup in the works?
Could Bolsonaro Junior be planning a repeat performance of his father's attempted coup? Polityka wonders:
“Flavio's flight bears a striking resemblance to the events that followed the previous elections. In December 2022, Jair Bolsonaro, father and head of the family clan, lost the election, also to Lula, and because he didn't want to take part in the handover of power, he travelled to the US – supposedly for a holiday. ... A week after Lula's swearing-in on 8 January 2023, Bolsonaro's supporters [organised] an attack on the buildings housing the three branches of government in the country's capital. ... Flávio's flight raises the question: has he left a 'bomb' behind in the country, similar to the one that exploded on 8 January 2023? And will that farce be repeated?””