He has repeatedly said that he did not want to hand over the presidential sash to Lula at the inauguration on Sunday.
Bolsonaro may face legal trouble for staying in Brazil, as his presidential immunity will expire when Lula takes office.
“Vice President Hamilton Mourao is now interim president”, his press officer told Reuters, confirming that Bolsonaro had left the country. “I’m in flight, I’ll be back soon”, Bolsonaro said, according to CNN Brazil.
Before takeoff, Bolsonaro delivered one last teary-eyed social media speech in which he reviewed the highlights of his tenure, sought to uphold his legacy and tried to inspire his supporters to continue to oppose Lula.
Some of his supporters have refused to accept Lula’s victory and have believed Bolsonaro’s unsubstantiated claims that the October elections were a fraud. This has contributed to a tense atmosphere in Brasilia, where there were riots and a foiled attack last week.
Bolsonaro called the bombing plot a “terrorist act” for which there was no justification. In addition, he sought to distance himself from George Washington de Oliveira Sousa, the man who confessed to making the bomb.
Bolsonaro’s swift departure is a disappointment to many on the right, where his reputation suffered from his silence after the election.
Source: Ambito
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