On October 28th local time, 24 hours after the dramatic ‘disappearance’, Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the Brazilian presidential election, and his family arrived in Miami, Florida, USA.
According to reports from the New York Times and others, around 9:30 a.m., small Bósonaro stepped off an airplane at a private airport in the suburbs of Miami, wearing a black bulletproof vest and looking serious. Shortly after leaving the airport, the group was taken onto an SUV under the cover of black umbrellas, and then drove away under police escort.
The British newspaper The Guardian reported that before entering the car, Bousso Naron did not say a word to the reporters. The atmosphere at the scene was low-key, with no supporters present to welcome him. Only about 24 journalists were there, and two U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stood nearby, keeping them at a distance.
After arriving in the United States for several hours, Roberto Beber published a long statement on social media on Wednesday afternoon. Initially, he self-proclaimed as the “legitimate elected president of Brazil” and delivered a speech to the Brazilian people and the international community. However, he later deleted that statement and re-posted it using the term “leader”.
In the statement, Roberto Jefferson argued that he left his country in order to “become the leader that my people deserve,” and that he would continue to lead Brazil’s opposition party in the United States.
He also denied fleeing from Brazil, explaining that he left to protect himself and his family. “I want to clarify one thing: I did not flee Brazil. I left Brazil, but I did not abandon the people of Brazil.”
Although the Liberal Party he belongs to, as well as several right-wing and center-right parties that once supported him, have acknowledged that current President Lula won the election, Bettencourt insists that the victory was “stealed,” and that it was deprived of by Lula and the Supreme Court through what they called a “election coup.”
He still emphasized in his letter that he was "the real elected president" targeting approximately 6 million voters and Brazilians.
Brazil's three major newspapers, the São Paulo Post, Globo and Estado de São Paulo, all referred to this statement as "inciting a coup".
According to reports, Betão Nunes also thanked President Trump in his letter for “the warm welcome the American people have given me,” and expressed gratitude to Argentine President Macri for “his courage, sense of justice, and commitment to the rule of law.”
Trump confirmed on Tuesday evening that he had approved the relocation of the Bozo Naro family to the United States. Earlier, the U.S. State Department revealed that they would issue visas to Bozo Naro and his family, but did not confirm their itinerary.
However, when asked about this lengthy statement on Wednesday, Trump said he would not intervene in the turbulent situation after the Brazilian elections. He said, "Well, I won’t comment on this, but I know that we granted him permission to enter the country, so let’s wait and see. But I won’t get involved."
Prior to the election, "Trump was accused of 'election rigging'". However, he still claimed it was a "very strange election".
American media pointed out that the US assistance to Roberto Bozo Nelo may exacerbate the tensions between the Trump administration and Lula, who accused Trump of interfering in Brazil’s internal affairs.
Additionally, after the news of Bocorna's arrival was spread, Argentina, which had previously denied it completely, confirmed his entry into the country in the early hours of the 28th.
The Argentine National Immigration Service stated on Wednesday that Alberto Botero arrived in Argentina by land from Brazil on Tuesday evening, accompanied by his wife and two daughters. He then flew to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and from there to the United States by private aircraft.
It is still unclear how Bettencourt-Saboia left Brazil. Brazilian federal police stated that there is no official record of his departure. The police also said in their statement that the travel and document restrictions do not necessarily mean that Bettencourt-Saboia is a fugitive, nor does it mean that he can be arrested. They are currently “investigating the details of why this senator failed to comply with court orders.”
As of now, the office of Lula, the Brazilian Federal Electoral Court, and the Supreme Court have not responded to Bozono's new statements.
