Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is back and facing multiple investigations, including for his role in encouraging protests that led to his supporters storming government buildings.

The former far right president, aged 68, has been exiled in Florida for three months. He is now back in Brazil for the first-time since leaving office.

He wants to be the right-wing opposition to Lula da Silva who defeated him in October’s elections.

As they waited for Bolsonaro in Brasilia, hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters were in yellow and green. They chanted for him while they waited.

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Federal district security secretariat mobilized hundreds of officers, and the Esplanade Of Ministries, where the government buildings are located, was closed to stop his supporters from gathering.

After weeks of protests against Mr Bolsonaro’s defeat, the January storming of government buildings was compared with the 2021 Riots at the US Capitol.

Former president claimed that the election result was invalid and was accused of encouraging rioters to attack government buildings.

With 50.9% of votes, Mr. da Silva won the election. He previously held the office of president from 2003 to 2011.

Bolsonaro left Brazil shortly before his term ended. He also broke with tradition by refusing to give the presidential sash his successor.

An alleged attempt by the former president to import and keep jewellery from Saudi Arabia worth $3.2m (PS2.6m), is under investigation. The items were seized in 2021 by customs officials because they hadn’t been declared.

Bolsonaro faces legal challenges as a result of anti-democratic statements that he made during his presidency, including unfounded claims about the election system being open to fraud.

He would lose his political rights and he could not run for office in the next election if he is found guilty of any of these cases.

Continue reading:

Brazil Riots – How the storming of Congress unfolded

Bolsonaro was mostly quiet while in the US. However, he did give speeches to conservatives and Brazilian expatriates at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Maryland).

The legislator-turned-president is currently not holding elected office for the first time in 30 years.

He said that he was without a mandate but that he is not retiring.

His return to Brazil was repeatedly delayed. Some speculated that he might delay it indefinitely due to his legal problems.

Steve Bannon, an ally of Donald Trump, said this week to Folha de S.Paulo that Bolsonaro shouldn’t have left Brazil and dismissed the importance and importance of the investigations.

Mayra Goulart da Silva, an academic from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, stated that Mr Bolsonaro will first aim to rally opposition against Mr da Silva’s government.

The next year’s municipal elections will be a significant step towards gaining political momentum in preparation for a potential 2026 presidential run.

Bolsonaro will likely support the mayoral candidates of his Liberal Party.