MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonaro returning to Brazil next month

“I am not dead,” Bolsonaro underlined

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced Tuesday that he would be returning to his country next month after staying in the US State of Florida since hours before finishing his term last year.

The former Army captain said he wanted to lead the opposition while defending himself from charges linking him to the Jan. 8 riots in Brasilia pressing for a military uprising.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Bolsonaro explained that he wanted to stand against President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva because “the right-wing movement is not dead and will remain alive.”

Bolsonaro also pledged to work with his supporters in Congress and state governments to push for pro-business policies and to fight abortion, gun control, and other measures he claims to be against family values.

Regarding his defeat in the Oct. 30 runoff, Bolsonaro told the WSJ that ”losing is part of the electoral process (...) I am not saying there was fraud but the process was biased“ and insisted he was surprised by his defeat, considering his party's achievements in state and congressional races. ”The people were with me, agribusiness was with me, most evangelicals were with me, the industry was with me, gun owners were with me,“ he argued. Hence, he sees himself as ”the national leader of the right; there is no one else right now.“

Bolsonaro is under investigation for allegedly inciting the Jan. 8 rioters a week after Lula's inauguration. ”I wasn't even there, and they want to blame me,“ the former president said while condemning the violent acts, although he underlined there was no coup: ”Coup? What coup? Where was the commander? Where were the troops? Where were the bombs?“ the retired military officer argued.

Regarding Lula's recent trip to the White House, Bolsonaro said his successor ”only came here to be in the spotlight.”