Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under investigation for his role in the violent attack on the headquarters of national institutions in Brasilia on January 8, has applied for a six-month visa to stay in the States United, said his lawyer, Monday, January 30.
The far-right former president had left Brazil for Florida two days before Lula’s inauguration on 1er January, and his current visa is set to expire soon, according to law firm AG Immigration. “We look forward to bringing the utmost satisfaction and desired results to our client”the firm said in a statement. “In his situation, he needs stability right now,” estimated Felipe Alexandre, founder of the consulting firm.
Mr. Bolsonaro is said to have entered the United States on a visa issued to visiting leaders, which will expire on Tuesday, as he is no longer on official business.
Elected American Democrats have mobilized
The former Brazilian president had indicated on the CNN antenna in Brazil that he intended to return at the end of January and that he was even considering bringing forward his return for health reasons. Jair Bolsonaro was the victim of a stabbing in 2018 during an electoral trip. He has since undergone several surgeries for bowel obstruction.
On January 8, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters, unhappy with Lula da Silva’s victory over the far-right ex-president in the October 2022 presidential election, invaded and vandalized the presidential palace, the Congress and the Supreme Court, in Brasilia.
A few days later, elected Democrats called for Joe Biden to revoke Jair Bolsonaro’s visa, refusing that the United States serve as a refuge for the former leader. “We must not allow Mr. Bolsonaro or any other former Brazilian official to seek refuge in the United States in order to escape justice for any possible crime committed during his mandate”write these 41 elected officials, all from the Democratic Party, in an open letter to President Biden.
Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice, was arrested on January 14 as part of the investigation into the looting, while returning by plane from the United States.