The former far-right head of state is the target of numerous legal proceedings, in particular for suspicions of a “coup attempt” in 2022 in order to retain power.
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He was trying to flee justice, according to his opponents. A pure “fiction”, according to his lawyers. Surrounded by legal investigations, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro spent two nights at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia in February, revealed the New York Times Monday March 25.
Video surveillance images published by the American daily show the former president entering the Hungarian embassy on the evening of February 12, and leaving on the 14th in the afternoon. A few days after a police operation during which he was prohibited from leaving the territory, because of suspicions of a “coup attempt” fomented by Jair Bolsonaro and his relatives to retain power despite his 2022 electoral defeat against his left-wing rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The left was quick to take up this matter. The former far-right leader intended to “flee (…) for fear of being judged for his crimes, of being convicted and of being imprisoned”accused on the social network Gleisi Hoffmann, president of Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT). A deputy from the same party, Lindbergh Farias, announced that he had contacted the office of the Attorney General of the Republic to demand the “preventive dentention” by Jair Bolsonaro.
An “invitation” from the Hungarian authorities, according to Bolsonaro
“Fake news”, replied Jair Bolsonaro’s lawyers. They admitted that their client had been “stayed for two days” in the embassy of this “friendly country”, led by Viktor Orban, another representative of the radical right. But according to them, he had gone there “by invitation” Hungarian authorities, with the sole aim of “discuss the political context of the two countries”. “Any other interpretation (…) is fiction”insisted the defense of the former president.
Declared ineligible in June 2023 for having disseminated false information on the Brazilian system of electronic ballot boxes, Jair Bolsonaro has seen the judicial noose tighten since his defeat. On March 19, the federal police recommended his indictment in a case of falsification of vaccination certificates against Covid-19. He is also in the crosshairs of justice for the alleged misappropriation of gifts received from foreign countries, including jewelry offered by Saudi Arabia. The former army captain nevertheless remains very popular in his camp, as shown by a large demonstration in his support in Sao Paulo on February 25 which brought together some 185,000 people, according to an estimate by researchers.