Daijiworld Media Network - Miami
Miami, Oct 29: Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has declared himself the country’s “true president” after arriving in Miami, United States, on Wednesday, October 28, alleging electoral fraud in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory.
Addressing his supporters and the Brazilian public, Flavio claimed that the election had been stolen and accused those responsible of establishing what he described as a tyranny.
“I want to tell not only my 60 million voters but also the Brazilian people as a whole that I am the president-elect, and that the criminals who stole Brazil’s election are part of a criminal organisation that has established a tyranny,” he said.
In a lengthy statement addressed to Brazilians on X, Flavio said he had left the country to escape what he described as political persecution. Rejecting suggestions that he had fled Brazil, he wrote, “I want to make this clear, I did not flee Brazil, left for Brazil’s sake.”
He also alleged irregularities in the presidential election, claiming that Lula had secured more than 10 million additional votes between the first and second rounds, which he described as impossible.
Flavio, 45, arrived in Miami with his wife and two daughters following a circuitous journey that included stops in Argentina and Ecuador, according to Argentine officials and flight data.
A close ally of US President Donald Trump, he visited the White House in May. The Trump administration approved US visas for him and his family this week.
His father, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, had also travelled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula before returning to Brazil three months later.
Lula won the presidential election with 51.75 per cent of the votes, defeating Bolsonaro, who secured 48.25 per cent. The result marked a setback for the conservative political movement in South America amid a broader shift towards right-wing leadership in several countries across the region.
Following his victory, Lula said his campaign had succeeded in convincing voters that participating in the election was essential to safeguarding democracy. He also claimed that Brazil had resisted foreign intervention through digital platforms and stressed that the country would not serve as anyone’s backyard.
“We will change the way we run this country, we will make people participate more in the decision-making process,” he said.
Lula’s supporters celebrated the victory, with Edinho Silva, head of the president’s Workers’ Party, describing the outcome as a historic turning point for democracy.
Flavio’s allegations have added to the political tensions surrounding the election, as the Bolsonaro camp continues to challenge Lula’s victory.