Jair Bolsonaro's Son Hinted Father's Return to Brazil
The son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has created speculations about his father's return to Brazil after he hinted in his tweet that his father is ending his stay in the United States as soon as next week.
According to Al Jazeera, Bolsonaro's son, Flavio Bolsonaro, tweeted on Tuesday that his father would return to Brazil on March 15. However, he quickly deleted the said post.
Flavio wrote instead that he was "sorry for the previous post" and might only be "missing" his father a lot. He then added that the March 15 date for his father's return to Brazil was "likely but still unconfirmed."
Bolsonaro fled to the U.S. after he lost his re-election bid to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. His departure was then followed by an incident wherein his followers stormed Brazil's Congress, Supreme Court, and the presidential Planalto Palace on January 8.
Jair Bolsonaro's Return to Brazil
Sources connected to Jair Bolsonaro told Reuters Tuesday that a criminal probe against the former Brazilian president could delay his return. Bolsonaro was accused of trying to illegally bring $3.2 million of jewelry into Brazil.
Justice Minister Flavio Dino ordered a police probe on the case on Monday while Bolsonaro was in a self-imposed exile in the U.S. after losing the presidential elections, U.S. News reported.
The expensive jewelry was a gift by the Saudi government to Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro. Customs officials confiscated it at Sao Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport in October 2021.
According to Brazilian law, anything over the value of $1,000 of goods is subjected to paying huge taxes. Local media reported that the Bolsonaro administration unsuccessfully tried to recover the jewelry multiple times through government officials.
Sources said a series of letters from Bolsonaro's admin officials were sent, asking for the jewelry items to be released.
One of the letters was reportedly sent before Bolsonaro left for the U.S. in December. Bolsonaro has indicated that he plans to run again for president in 2016.
Jair Bolsonaro in the U.S.
In January, the former Brazilian president reportedly applied for a six-month U.S. tourist visa. According to his lawyer, Felipe Alexandre, Jair Bolsonaro has dedicated 34 years of his life to public service and wants to "take some time off."
Alexandre previously told BBC News in a statement that Bolsonaro requested a B1/B2 tourism visa. The former Brazilian president has been staying in Florida since December 30.
Bolsonaro told NBC News on Saturday that he plans to return to Brazil this month. He noted that he had no responsibility over the riot as he was no longer the president and was "outside Brazil" at the time.
He added that "bad actors" from the left were to blame for the "destruction in Brasilia." Bolsonaro said their people "would never do what the people did on January 8," which made them certain that it was the people from the left "that planned all of that."
The former president also maintained that he does not respond to lawsuits and "was not cited in absolutely nothing" when asked if he would stay in Brazil and face the charges.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Bolsonaro Speaks Out on Protests in Brazil After Inauguration of His Rival - From NBC News
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