The outgoing Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, will not be present for the inauguration on 1er January 2023 in Brasilia, of his successor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who emerged victorious from the last Brazilian presidential elections, and will not hand him the presidential sash, as is institutional tradition.
Lula, a president challenged by the two Brazils
According to the Brazilian media UOL who reveals the information, Jair Bolsonaro will travel to Mar-a-Lago, a resort located in Palm Beach, Florida and owned by Donald Trump, himself a former leader of the United States. Jair Bolsonaro must leave this Wednesday, December 28 to join Florida where he intends to stay “one to two months”according to “Hora Do Povo”.
This announcement comes after the Brazilian media had been speculating for several days about his possible departure for the United States on Wednesday. Jair Bolsonaro, who has never congratulated Lula and seems to have sunk into depression, has hardly appeared in public since his presidential defeat on October 30.
“Someone will make the transition”
Federal deputy Tábata Amaral said on his Twitter account that the departure of Jair Bolsonaro for Florida was a “expected decision”. “But this is a historic break in a democratic tradition. The passage of the sash is a symbol of respect for the Constitution”she clarified, “Bolsonaro will forever be marked as the enemy of democracy president”.
If Bolsonaro will finally be absent for the investiture of Lula, “someone will make the transition” of power, indicated Bia Kicis, a Bolsonarist deputy to “ Correio Braziliense “, Friday. At this stage, however, no name has been announced.
According to a journalist from the “World” in Brazil, Emmanuel Macron will not make the trip. During the investiture, France will be represented by Olivier Brecht, Minister for Foreign Trade.
A country under tension as the investiture approaches
For several weeks, tensions have been felt in Brazil as the investiture approaches. Many supporters of the left-wing president-elect have expressed their fear of unrest or attacks on social networks, especially since the discovery, on Saturday December 17, of an explosive device in a tanker truck near Brasilia airport. Activated, the device did not explode.
Presidential election in Brazil: “Bolsonaro is a libertarian conservative”
The man who had dropped him off was arrested and wanted, according to his statements to the police published by the local press, “cause chaos” and “the intervention of the armed forces” for’“to prevent the establishment of communism in Brazil”.
To ensure security during the investiture, Flavio Dino, Lula’s future Minister of Public Security, asked the Federal Court to suspend the carrying of weapons in the capital from Wednesday until January 2, at the day after the inauguration ceremony
