Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described as "shameful" the alleged secret departure of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, whom he defeated in the second round of the presidential election. Lula said that a person who leaves his homeland in this way probably has something to hide.
A citizen who leaves his country secretly is a person who has something to hide. Such an action - leaving Brazil - is shameful.According to information from “El Colombiano“ The president also expressed regret that his opponent did not stay in Brazil to publicly defend his position.
He could have stayed to prove that the accusations were false.However, Lula clarified that he did not have precise information about the whereabouts of Flavio Bolsonaro. A US official, quoted by the Associated Press, reported that the State Department would issue visas to the senator and his family members.
Investigations and outstanding passport order
Flavio Bolsonaro lost the second round on October 25. Lula received 51.78 percent of the vote against 48.21 percent for the senator, with a difference of about 4.4 million votes. The victory secured Lula a fourth consecutive presidential term.
Flavio Bolsonaro did not concede defeat after the election and said he would ask the electoral court to annul the results. He is under investigation for alleged corruption, money laundering and tax violations. The senator denies any wrongdoing.
Brazilian authorities have ordered him to surrender his ordinary and diplomatic passports. The deadline is noon on October 27. According to the Associated Press, his campaign headquarters was unable to reach him in the early hours of the day, and campaign manager Rogerio Marinho said he had only received a brief message from the senator.
The final certification of the election results is scheduled for December 18. Until then, Flavio Bolsonaro can challenge the vote before the electoral authorities, but to change the result he will have to present evidence to convince the court that violations influenced the difference between the two candidates.
Sources: elcolombiano.com, apnews.com, agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br