Jair Bolsonaro used to rule over Latin America’s largest country, with a population of 214 million people. The former far-right leader of Brazil now resides in a small Florida town and eats alone at a fast-food restaurant.
Jair Bolsonaro, 67, has sought unexpected asylum in the United States, where he arrived in late December, just days before his followers stormed government facilities in Brasilia in an attempt to overturn his competitor, leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s election triumph.
At home, Bolsonaro is being investigated over his alleged involvement in the unrest he caused, which he denies.
Bolsonaro, a political soulmate of former US President Donald Trump, moved from the luxurious presidential palace to a modest community of virtually similar residences near the DisneyWorld resort.
Bolsonaro has kept a low profile in his first six weeks in the United States, staying at the Orlando house of Brazilian former martial arts champion Jose Aldo, visiting a local supermarket, and being spotted eating fried chicken alone at a KFC fast-food restaurant.
On Friday, the man who once commanded massive audiences in his home nation spoke to 400 fans at the Trump National hotel in Doral, near Miami, at an event organized by the American conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA. It was unclear whether Trump was involved in the event’s planning.
More popular than ever before
The gathering had the atmosphere of an electoral rally. Bolsonaro spoke passionately about completing his responsibilities to his country, except that he was in Florida, thousands of miles (kilometers) away from his homeland.
“There is no greater satisfaction than that of having fulfilled a duty,” Bolsonaro said of his presidency. He spoke in front of an audience dressed in fine suits and dresses, as well as the Brazilian soccer team’s yellow and green shirts.
Bolsonaro had spoken three days previously in the ballroom of an Orlando shopping center restaurant at an event organized by the Brazilian expatriate community in Florida.
Bolsonaro, who had previously questioned Lula’s narrow victory in an October 30 runoff, questioned his election loss once more, declaring himself “more popular than ever.”
“Many people are still shaken by what happened in the elections…. But we will face this moment and, God willing, we will win together,” he said.
But Bolsonaro added that he regretted “what some inconsistent people did” during the unrest.
At both Florida events, the crowds were warm and welcoming, with supporters hugging him, taking photographs with him, and cheering him on.
What comes next for Bolsonaro?
Bolsonaro applied for a new visa to stay in the United States for six months after publicly proclaiming his desire to return to Brazil at the end of January. Bolsonaro’s future is questionable.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, one of his sons, stated last week that the former president had no plans to return.
“It may be tomorrow, or six months from now, or he may never come back,” he told reporters.
Bolsonaro promised to “remain active in Brazilian politics” on Tuesday at the Orlando restaurant. He didn’t go into further detail.
It remains to be seen whether Bolsonaro keeps a low profile or seeks to raise his profile in the United States.
“I’ve always been a huge admirer of the American people — their liberties, their patriotism and their love of the flag,” he told the gathering Friday.