Three months after leaving Brazil after its defeat in the presidential election, the former Brazilian president will land in Brasilia on Thursday. Without “ambition for power”, he assures, at a time when the current president is recovering from pneumonia.
Jair Bolsonaro has not returned his apron. The far-right ex-president returns to Brazil after a three-month stay in the United States. The object of a long series of investigations, he exposes himself to legal proceedings and ineligibility as well as possible imprisonment. But he assures us: “I have no ambition for power. JI come back to do politics”.
Just three months ago, Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil, two days before the end of his mandate. The ex-president, under five investigations by the Supreme Court, is expected this Thursday, March 30 in Brasilia: he must leave Florida for an arrival scheduled around 12:15 p.m. French time, he confirmed on Jovem Pan, popular radio station in Brazil.
“For the moment, I have no mandate, but i’m not retired. I will meet the party and we will see what our strategy is. Pas for the party, but for the country”he assures. For his supporters, it is indeed the “captain” who returns, who goes “defending the future of Brazil”as the Liberal Party writes on its Facebook page.
His return puts the federal police on edge
Still, on the spot, the atmosphere is electric. While several parliamentarians have already called for the formation of a welcoming committee for the ex-president when he leaves the plane, the federal police are on edge, highlighting a risk of disruption of air traffic, as well as a special safety device. The authorities also have one wish: that the arrival of Jair Bolsonaro be discreet, without returning with great fanfare, or crowds at the level of the main access to the airport.
Except that, according to part of the Brazilian press, the former president has his own projects. He would even consider making the airport-home trip… in a convertible car to greet his supporters on the road. However, in Brazil, it is the president who parades in a convertible, at the time of the investiture.
Jair Bolsonaro, who risks prison and ineligibility in 2026 for the next presidential election, therefore returns with his head held high, at a time when the current president is weakened. President Lula was, in fact, hospitalized a week ago, suffering from pneumonia. Although he is better and recovering, according to his doctor, he has had to postpone a long-awaited visit to China, Brazil’s main trading partner.