According to the authorities, Jair Bolsonaro could escape during the trip.
The Brazilian Supreme Court on Thursday refused to return the passport of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who wanted to participate in Monday’s inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. According to the court, the possible route would pose a risk of his escape, TASR writes based on the report of the AFP agency.
“The scenario that justified the permission to leave the country and the surrender of the passport continued to indicate the possibility of an attempt to escape by the accused,” said one of the Brazilian judges.
“This passport thing is still in play. I have a team of lawyers who have asked me not to go into the details of the case because an appeal is still possible,” Bolsonaro told conservative YouTube site Revista Oeste.
He is to be accompanied by his wife
Shortly before the court’s decision, The New York Times published an interview with Bolsonaro, in which he said that he was excited about the invitation and at the same time called Trump “the most important person in the world”. He added that his wife will attend the inauguration and will have “special treatment” given his longtime friendship with Trump. Bolsonaro himself was nicknamed ‘Trump from the tropics’ during his time in office.
Brazilian authorities seized Bolsonaro’s passport as part of an investigation into his alleged attempt to organize a coup d’état. He thus wanted to reverse the results of the 2022 election, in which he lost to his opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazilian police also accused him of plotting his murder.
“Since at least 2019, Bolsonaro, in coordination with other officials, has effectively planned, directed and carried out specific actions aimed at eliminating the democratic rule of law and remaining in the position of president,” the police report states. He himself denies committing any crime. Bolsonaro’s authorities there banned from holding any public office until 2030. In November, Brazilian police arrested five people, including his former adviser, in this case.
