Bolsonaro leaves Brazil for Florida to avoid the transfer of office to Lula

President Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on Friday, 48 hours before his left-wing rival, the president-elect Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, take office, saying that he had “lost a battle but not the war”.

Bolsonaro, what has barely spoken in public since losing the election, he hasn’t confirmed where he’s headed, but plane data suggests he’s traveling to Florida, where his security personnel are already based.

He has repeatedly said that he does not want to hand over the presidential sash to Lula at the inauguration on Sunday. Bolsonaro may face legal trouble for staying in Brazil, as his presidential immunity will expire when Lula takes office.

Vice President Hamilton Mourao is now acting president, his press officer told Reutersconfirming that Bolsonaro had left the country.

“I’m in flight, I’ll be back soon,” Bolsonaro said, according to Brazil. His press office did not respond to a request for comment.

Before takeoff, Bolsonaro delivered one last teary-eyed social media speech in which he reviewed the highlights of his tenure, sought to uphold his legacy and tried to inspire his supporters to continue to oppose Lula.

Part of his followers have refused to accept victory of Lula and have believed Bolsonaro’s unsubstantiated claims that the October elections constituted a fraud. This has contributed to a tense atmosphere in Brasilia, where there have been riots and a frustrated attack In the past week.

Bolsonaro called the bomb plot a “terrorist act” for which there was no justification and sought to distance himself from George Washington de Oliveira Sousa, the man who has confessed to making the bomb.

Bolsonaro’s swift departure is a disappointment to many on the right, where his reputation has suffered from his post-election silence. His political associates want him to lead the conservative opposition against Lula with a view to ousting him in the upcoming 2026 elections.

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