Bolsonaro takes Michelle to the airport and says he is embarrassed about not going to Trump’s inauguration

Jair Bolsonaro (PL) took his wife, Michelle, to Brasília airport this Saturday (18), where she leaves for the United States to represent her husband at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. The former president said he was embarrassed for not being able to attend the event in Washington, on Monday (20).

Bolsonaro’s passport was withheld in February 2024 as part of investigations into the attempted coup d’état in 2022. At that time, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) understood that there was a risk of flight and in rejecting requests to return it in this beginning of the year, the decision says that the risk remains.

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In his speeches to the press, the former president criticized Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of the coup investigation. “I face enormous political persecution,” he said. “One person in the STF cannot be the owner of the truth and decide what he does with anyone’s life.”

Bolsonaro said he was embarrassed for not being with his wife and children for the republican’s inauguration. “I have already arranged meetings with heads of state and I will not be able to attend,” he said.

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Two requests to release the passport were made to the STF. In his denials, Minister Alexandre de Moraes wrote that the conditions that led to the passport being seized remain in place, and that there is no public interest in the former president’s trip.

The former head of the Brazilian Executive said he expected the support of the president-elect in the USA to reverse his ineligibility. “Without certainty, if he invited me, he is sure that he can collaborate with Brazil’s democracy by removing political ineligibility, like the two of mine that I had”, he said.

Bolsonaro did not detail how Trump could change the decisions of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) that declared him ineligible for eight years.

Michelle stated during her visit to the airport that her husband is being persecuted and that “they have a certain fear” of Bolsonaro, as he is “the greatest leader of the Brazilian right”. She, however, did not explain who “they” were.