Bolsonaro to meet Biden amid riots by his supporters in Brazil
2023.01.09 12:40
Bolsonaro to meet Biden amid riots by his supporters in Brazil
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – After challenging the results of the Oct. 30 runoff election, in which he narrowly lost to his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the far-right former president of Brazil flew to Florida two days before his term ended on January 1. A violent group of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil’s Supreme Court, Congress, and presidential palace on Sunday.
Democratic President Joe Biden is under increasing pressure to expel Bolsonaro from his self-imposed exile in suburban Orlando after witnessing Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol two years ago.
On CNN, a Democratic member of Congress, U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, stated, “Bolsonaro should not be in Florida.” This authoritarian, who has fostered domestic terrorism in Brazil, should not seek refuge in the United States. He ought to be returned to Brazil.”
Castro stated that Bolsonaro, a Trump supporter who is currently based in the state where the former president was born, had “used the Trump playbook to inspire domestic terrorists.”
Those sentiments were echoed by another Democrat in the United States House of Representatives, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
She tweeted on Sunday, “The US must cease granting Bolsonaro refuge in Florida.”
Monday, Brazil’s O Globo reported that Bolsonaro had been admitted to a hospital in the United States due to abdominal pain.
Their remarks highlight Washington’s significant decision regarding Bolsonaro’s future and intensify the opposition to him.
After losing broad protections from prosecution when he stepped down as president, Bolsonaro was already on weaker ground in Brazil, where he had a fractious relationship with Biden. Reuters reported last week that those investigations could result in his arrest or prevent him from running for office.
A person with knowledge of the situation said that the Biden administration in Washington was still gathering information about what happened on Sunday in Brasilia and who might have been behind it. On the condition of anonymity, the source stated that no decision would likely be made regarding Bolsonaro’s visa status until a more complete picture of what transpired.
The most immediate threat to Bolsonaro, according to John Feeley, who served as the United States ambassador to Panama from late 2015 to 2018, when the Central American nation sought the extradition of its former President Ricardo Martinelli. Feeley said that if his visa to the United States was revoked, that would be the most immediate threat.
Feeley stated, “The United States – or any sovereign nation for that matter – may remove a foreigner for any reason, even one who entered legally on a visa.” It is a decision made solely by the sovereign, and there is no need for a legal justification.”
In 2018, Martinelli was extradited back to Panama from the United States, three years after the Panamanian Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant for him.
On the condition of anonymity, a U.S. consular official stated that Bolsonaro almost certainly entered on an A-1 visa, which is only granted to heads of state, diplomats, and other government officials. Another source, a senior former U.S. diplomat, was of the opinion that Bolsonaro’s entry on an A-1 plane was almost certain.
After the recipient leaves office, the A-1 is typically canceled. However, the official was concerned that Bolsonaro’s A-1 was still in use because he left Brazil and entered the United States before the end of his term.
The official, who has dealt with visa cancellations for former heads of state, stated that an A-1 visa holder can stay in the United States for as long as they want.
The official stated, “We’re in uncharted territory.” Who knows how long he will remain?
According to a spokesperson for the State Department, “visa records are confidential under U.S. law; As a result, we are unable to discuss specific visa cases.”
It’s possible that Bolsonaro doesn’t want to go back to Brazil, where he is accused of starting a violent movement to deny an election by making false claims of electoral fraud.
Lula attributed the violence on Sunday to his predecessor, claiming that he would pursue Bolsonaro if necessary in his inauguration speech on January 1. Brazilian police Lula said on Sunday that the former president “is encouraging this via social media from Miami,” one day before police-backed Brazilian soldiers destroyed the Bolsonaro supporters’ camp in the capital. Everyone is aware that the former president has given a number of speeches urging this.
Bolsonaro said in a tweet on Sunday that the invasion had crossed the line between peaceful protest and Lula’s accusations.
Before he resigned as president, Bolsonaro was already the subject of four criminal investigations by the Supreme Court.
Legal experts said that following Sunday’s invasion, Bolsonaro might be the target of an investigation into anti-democratic protests by the Supreme Court, led by the crusading Justice Alexandre de Moraes. This investigation has already resulted in the arrest of several people.
Bolsonaro would technically be required to fly back to Brazil and surrender to police if Moraes signed an arrest warrant while he was in the United States. Brazil could issue an Interpol Red Notice to prompt his arrest by U.S. federal agents in the event that he refuses.
Brazil would need to make a formal request for Bolsonaro’s extradition if he were to be detained in the United States. Bolsonaro could appeal to the courts in the United States or try to get asylum, but neither of these options guarantees that he will not be sent back to Brazil.
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The White House stated on Monday that the Brazilian government has not made any official requests to the United States regarding Bolsonaro’s situation.
