MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Bolsonaro continues to back Trump and reiterates allegations of election fraud
Asked about the chaotic scenes in Washington: “I followed everything today. You know I’m connected to Trump, right? So you already know my answer.” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday continued to back President Donald Trump by reiterating baseless allegations of November U.S. election fraud.
Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, has long admired Trump, and was one of the last global leaders to recognize President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.
On Wednesday, Bolsonaro said he had followed the storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters seeking to overturn the president’s election defeat. The breach forced lawmakers to evacuate and Congress to postpone a session that would have certified Biden’s victory.
Asked by a supporter for his views on the chaotic scenes in Washington, he said: “I followed everything today. You know I’m connected to Trump, right? So you already know my answer.”
“There were lot of reports of fraud, a lot of reports of fraud,” he added, in a video posted on social media, without providing evidence.
Bolsonaro also took the opportunity to repeat a baseless complaint that his own 2018 election victory was tainted by fraud and he should have won without a runoff.
Trump’s election loss was a blow to Bolsonaro, who has sought closer ties with the United States. Biden’s victory is likely to isolate Brazil on the global stage, and raise pressure on Bolsonaro’s handling of the environment and human rights.
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Read all commentsThere are those who will remember that I hoped that there would be a peaceful end to an election here in South America. I was condemned by some of the usual voices heard on this news group. At the time of my comments I foretold the possibility of violence in the USA if T.Rump was voted out of office. For some time it looked as if I was wrong but the events of yesterday afternoon have supported my claim. I condemn the actions of the supporters of the outgoing president and condemn the outgoing president himself in his fostering and inciting his supporters to this, predictable, conclusion. My main concern is that “Our Illustrious Leader” does not seem to have learnt anything from the event and seems to think he will have the support of enough people to storm the Palácio do Planalto to keep him in power
Jan 07th, 2021 - 12:02 pm +1Commenting for this story is now closed.
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