Brazil Investigates Possible Foreign Role in Bolsonaro’s Escape
(MENAFN) Brazilian authorities are examining whether individuals linked to the United States, Argentina and Israel helped former presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro leave the country after losing the election, according to reports citing an anonymous senior Brazilian official.
The official said a former operative of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency was spotted following the van carrying Bolsonaro as it headed toward the Argentine border.
Bolsonaro, who was defeated by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the presidential runoff, declined to explain the details of his departure during an interview.
“I will never speak about the path that I took,” he said, refusing to clarify whether American officials had helped him leave Brazil.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed suggestions of Washington’s involvement, stating that the “US government was not involved directly in any of the moves that were made.”
Bolsonaro explained that he sought refuge in the United States because he believes Brazil’s democratic institutions have stopped functioning properly and fears he could be detained for expressing his political opinions.
“American institutions still work. While in Brazil, they no longer function,” he said.
He further claimed that US President Donald Trump shared his concerns about Brazil’s political system.
“Trump is convinced that Brazil is no longer a full democracy,” he said.
The Brazilian politician, who has repeatedly disputed the election results without providing evidence, also questioned the electoral authorities’ conclusion that the vote was conducted fairly.
“I guarantee to you that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Bolsonaro said, referring to the president of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court.
“Not me, not you, not anyone who is watching, and not the president of the Superior Electoral Court can say with 100 percent certainty that there wasn’t fraud,” he added.
Bolsonaro also described his father’s reaction after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the former president to surrender his passports as part of a money-laundering investigation.
Recalling their last conversation before leaving Brazil, he said his father appeared emotional, with tears in his eyes, and told him: “You already know where this is going.”
“I told him that I knew, and that I knew what I had to do,” said Bolsonaro.
His father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison over a plot to stage a coup following his defeat in the 2022 election.
Meanwhile, Brazilian police have expressed little confidence in their ability to secure his son's return from the United States. A senior security official described the likelihood of capturing him as “zero.”
The official said a former operative of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency was spotted following the van carrying Bolsonaro as it headed toward the Argentine border.
Bolsonaro, who was defeated by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the presidential runoff, declined to explain the details of his departure during an interview.
“I will never speak about the path that I took,” he said, refusing to clarify whether American officials had helped him leave Brazil.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed suggestions of Washington’s involvement, stating that the “US government was not involved directly in any of the moves that were made.”
Bolsonaro explained that he sought refuge in the United States because he believes Brazil’s democratic institutions have stopped functioning properly and fears he could be detained for expressing his political opinions.
“American institutions still work. While in Brazil, they no longer function,” he said.
He further claimed that US President Donald Trump shared his concerns about Brazil’s political system.
“Trump is convinced that Brazil is no longer a full democracy,” he said.
The Brazilian politician, who has repeatedly disputed the election results without providing evidence, also questioned the electoral authorities’ conclusion that the vote was conducted fairly.
“I guarantee to you that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Bolsonaro said, referring to the president of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court.
“Not me, not you, not anyone who is watching, and not the president of the Superior Electoral Court can say with 100 percent certainty that there wasn’t fraud,” he added.
Bolsonaro also described his father’s reaction after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the former president to surrender his passports as part of a money-laundering investigation.
Recalling their last conversation before leaving Brazil, he said his father appeared emotional, with tears in his eyes, and told him: “You already know where this is going.”
“I told him that I knew, and that I knew what I had to do,” said Bolsonaro.
His father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison over a plot to stage a coup following his defeat in the 2022 election.
Meanwhile, Brazilian police have expressed little confidence in their ability to secure his son's return from the United States. A senior security official described the likelihood of capturing him as “zero.”
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