Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro heads to Florida, avoiding Lula da Silva handover
- The outgoing leader has repeatedly said he does not want to hand over the presidential sash at Sunday’s inauguration, breaking with tradition
- Bolsonaro may also face legal risks if he remains in the country as his presidential immunity expires when Lula takes office
President Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil for the US on Friday, 48 hours before his leftist rival President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was set to take office, saying he had “lost a battle but not the war”.
Bolsonaro, who has barely spoken since losing the election, has not confirmed where he is going, but plane tracking data suggests he is heading to Florida, where his security staff are already in place.
He had repeatedly said he did not want to hand over the presidential sash to Lula at Sunday’s inauguration, breaking with Brazil’s democratic tradition.
He may also face legal risks from remaining in Brazil as his presidential immunity expires when Lula takes office.
Vice-President Hamilton Mourao is now acting president, his press office told Reuters, confirming Bolsonaro had left the country. But Mourao will not pass the presidential sash to Lula either, a spokesperson said.