BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazil’s far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro returned from three months in the United States on Thursday and was welcomed back by hundreds of chanting supporters at the Brasilia airport before heading straight into meetings with his political party.
The turnout was considerably smaller than expected by police, and a minister in leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula’s cabinet called the reception a “flop” that showed his weak leadership.
Bolsonaro, who never formally conceded defeat in last year’s election, has vowed to lead the opposition to Lula’s government, raising the stakes for the new administration after a highly polarized election.
Supporters with Brazil flags draped around their shoulders sang the national anthem and chanted “legend” at the arrivals area of the airport amid tight security.
The 68-year-old former president in a live webcast from the headquarters of his Liberal Party said conservatives controlled Congress and Lula’s minority government would not be able “to do what it liked with the future of our country.”
Bolsonaro defended himself from accusations he tried to keep jewelry from the King of Saudi Arabia worth $3.2 million without declaring the gift, a scandal that has tarnished his claim to be an incorruptible politician.
