Flávio Bolsonaro Tells Reuters in Washington He Is Ready to Run for Brazil's Presidency Again
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro told Reuters in Washington on November 12 that he is ready to run for Brazil's presidency again under the Liberal Party banner, and that he believes the next contest could come earlier than expected. It was his first visit to Washington since losing the October 25 presidential runoff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and then leaving Brazil for the United States.
Bolsonaro was in Washington for meetings to resolve his U.S. immigration status, but declined to say whom he met. He said he believes economic problems will shorten Lula's fourth term, and he dismissed critics, including Lula, who call him a fugitive.
He acknowledged that his post-election legal challenges are unlikely to go anywhere. Asked whether he considers himself the president-elect, he did not answer directly, saying only: "For millions of Brazilians, that's what I am." A letter sent shortly after his arrival initially described him as "president-elect" before the wording was changed to "leader"; he declined to repeat that language.
In an interview with The New York Times in early November, Bolsonaro had already said he intends to run for president again. He questioned the legitimacy of Lula's 2026 victory, calling it "mathematically impossible," but presented no evidence of fraud, said he has no plans to formally contest the result, and has set no date to return to Brazil.
Bolsonaro left Brazil in defiance of a travel ban imposed by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and his passport has been revoked; the court had ordered him to surrender it, citing money-laundering investigations and flight risk. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 31 that Washington was not directly involved in his departure from Brazil.
(Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：巴西参议员弗拉维奥·博索纳罗接受媒体采访（资料图）。照片：巴西参议院（Senado Federal）摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro speaking to the media (file photo). Photo by Senado Federal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
