Brazil: Bolsonaro Suggests He Will Return in the Coming Weeks

Facts

• On Saturday, former Brazilian Pres. Jair Bolsonaro, who traveled to the US after losing his reelection bid and has applied for a six-month visa extension, told NBC News at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that he's planning on returning to Brazil this month.¹
• This comes as his legal problems keep rising amid allegations of an attempt to smuggle $3.2M worth of Saudi jewels into Brazil. Bolsonaro also faces potential repercussions for his alleged role in the Jan. 8 storming of government buildings.²
• Questioned about potential charges brought against him, the former president stated his 'suspicions' that the Jan. 8 riot 'was a trap rise,' demanding investigations into an alleged involvement from the left.¹
• He's subject to at least a total of 16 government investigations back in Brazil, from claims of promoting fake news ahead of the elections to his alleged mishandling of the pandemic. If charges are laid against him, he would be treated as an ordinary citizen.³
• During his CPAC speech, Bolsonaro, who has been called 'the Trump of the Tropics,' declared that he feels his 'mission is not over' and listed what he saw as his presidential accomplishments, including resisting lockdowns during the pandemic.³
• The new government of Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wants the former president to appear before Brazilian courts and is considering options to force him to return home if he doesn't voluntarily do so by the end of March. Bolsonaro hasn't given an exact date of return yet, with Brazilian news outlet O Globo reporting that he could postpone it until April.⁴

Sources: ¹NBC, ²Unherd, ³Times and ⁴Bloomberg.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by NBC. Not only has Pres. Lula called for Bolsonaro to return to face investigations, but thousands of Brazilians have hit the streets demanding justice be given to the election-denying rioters and their cowardly leader. After falsely claiming his electoral defeat was rigged to the point of riling up violent insurrectionists, he cannot be allowed to run away to the US and hide from the judicial system. Bolsonaro must return to his home country immediately.
• Right narrative, as provided by Breitbart. Those who believe Bolsonaro is some evil dictator should think about the fact that his successor — a socialist convicted felon who believes in stripping people of their rights to defend themselves and speak freely — is the one calling for his prosecution. Bolsonaro understands the grievances of patriotic citizens throughout the Americas, which is why the media have desperately tried to smear him ever since he first took office.

Predictions