Brazilians following Jair Bolsonaro in Florida, where he’s been on vacation since before his term ended last year, have one message to the former Brazilian president: don’t go home.
The scene happened outside the home where he has been staying in Orlando, according to a video published by Brazilian website Metropoles on Monday. It was a throwback to his years in office, when Bolsonaro often had informal chats with supporters when coming in and out from his official residence in Brasilia.
In the video, a smiling Bolsonaro cites a list of his government achievements to the group, who cheer him on with comments like “you’re the best.” While the former president said last week he was planning on cutting his vacation short after a brief stint at a local hospital, he didn’t acknowledge when one of his fans told him not to return to Brazil, where he is now being investigated for allegedly inciting rioters who stormed the nation’s capital on Jan. 8.
Bolsonaro’s presence in the U.S. is becoming a growing headache for President Joe Biden. In as letter last week, 46 congressional Democrats urged him to expel the conservative leader from the country, writing that the U.S. “must not provide shelter” for Bolsonaro after supporters incensed by his allegations of voter fraud ransacked government buildings in Brasilia.
Bolsonaro’s former Justice Minister Anderson Torres, who was also vacationing in Florida, was arrested upon landing in Brasilia on Saturday as part of an investigation into his alleged role in Jan. 8 attacks.
In the video, which runs nearly 2 minutes, Bolsonaro said he fells “sorry for what happened on Jan. 8, an unbelievable thing.” Wearing a puffer jacket, he also said he had a few “missteps” while in government, without going into details.
