Brazil: When Will Jair Bolsonaro Return After Election Loss?

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday that he plans to return this month to his country, where he will face several investigations.

Bolsonaro mentioned it in an interview while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, and not in his speech, Bloomberg reported.

Bolsonaro previously told CNN Brasil that he would return by the end of January, but that date has already lapsed. He also reportedly told his attorney Marcelo Bessa that he could return in April.

Bolsonaro is being investigated for his possible role in the January 8 riot that targeted the city of Brasilia by his supporters who do not accept his election defeat by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

However, the former president argued that he was no longer in office, was abroad of the country, and that his followers would never condone an attack of this nature.

If Bolsonaro does not return to Brazil voluntarily by the end of March, the Lula administration will reportedly look for ways to compel the former president to return to the country so he can face charges in Brazilian courts.

Jair Bolsonaro Intends to Return to Brazil This Month

Jair Bolsonaro traveled to Florida after losing the presidential election last year. He applied for a six-month visa on January 30.

In an interview with NBC News, Bolsonaro said he does not respond to lawsuits and "was not cited in absolutely nothing" when asked if he would stay in Brazil and answer the allegations.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a left-leaning challenger, won the election by a narrow margin, with 50.9% of the vote against Bolsonaro's 49.1%. However, Bolsonaro still refused to acknowledge this on Saturday.

Instead, he said: "The Brazilian people protested the results of the elections, and the other side - the people - did not celebrate the election of the other candidate."

"I had more support in 2022 than I did in 2018," he added.

Similar to January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, a crowd of Bolsonaro supporters invaded the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court to condemn the election results days after Lula's January 1 inauguration.

Jair Bolsonaro Traveled to U.S. to Clear His Head

Before Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva entered office on January 1, Jair Bolsonaro traveled to the U.S. to "clear his head and enjoy being a tourist there for a few months before deciding his next step," the former president's attorney Felipe Alexandre previously told Reuters.

Bolsonaro's flight to the U.S. went off without difficulty, but a week later, hundreds of Bolsonaro's crazed fans stormed the city and destroyed the government facilities.

An investigation is ongoing to determine if Bolsonaro started the uprising that could bar him from holding public office again.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Jair Bolsonaro Says He Plans to Return to Brazil in March to Lead Opposition - From FRANCE 24 English