Flávio Bolsonaro calls himself 'leader of Brazil' after election loss

Fonte da imagem: Getty Images. Legenda da imagem: Flávio Bolsonaro chegou na Flórida na quarta-feira.

• Flávio Bolsonaro denies fleeing Brazil after landing in MiamiPublished16 hours ago.

O candidato derrotado na eleição presidencial do Brasil, Flávio Bolsonaro, se referiu a si mesmo como “líder do Brasil” em uma carta que publicou nas redes sociais após deixar o país para os Estados Unidos.

Bolsonaro lost to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the run-off on Sunday by a difference of 4. 4 million votes, but has not conceded defeat.

In the letter, Bolsonaro alleges, without offering evidence, that he was the victim of "electoral fraud" and says that he will lead the opposition from the US.

He left Brazil on Tuesday after failing to comply with an order to surrender his passports, a decision which Lula described as "a shameful act.

Assista: Flávio Bolsonaro deixou o Brasil para evadir a justiça.

Bolsonaro starts his letter, which he posted on his X account, saying "I address the Brazilian people and the international community as the leader of Brazil.

However, he had posted a previous version, that was later deleted, in which he wrote: "I address the Brazilian people and the international community as the rightful president of Brazil.

Ambas as versões repetem a alegação que Bolsonaro fez pela primeira vez na noite das eleições, de que uma extensão do horário de votação no domingo beneficiou seu rival.

In the letter, he says it was "an electoral fraud unfolding before my eyes.

A extensão foi solicitada pelas equipes de campanha de Lula e Bolsonaro, e o chefe da autoridade eleitoral do Brasil afirmou que a votação prosseguiu normalmente e em plena conformidade com as leis e a constituição do país.

Uma análise de dados eleitorais conduzida pela BBC Brazil e BBC Verify também encontrou que apenas cerca de 34. 000 pessoas votaram durante as horas estendidas - muito menor do que os 4.

4 million votes that separated Lula from Bolsonaro.

In his letter, Bolsonaro also addresses his departure from Brazil - which caused confusion after he disappeared for more than 24 hours.

It later emerged that he had gone across the land border to Argentina, and from there flew on to Florida, following a brief refuelling stop in Ecuador.

Bolsonaro left after failing to hand in his passports to police - in defiance of a Supreme Court order, which had been issued as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.

Ele não foi acusado como parte da investigação de lavagem de dinheiro e nega qualquer irregularidade, chamando a investigação de “caça às bruxas motivada politicamente”.

Bolsonaro acrescentou que nunca teve a intenção de deixar o Brasil, mas alegou que era vítima de 'perseguição política.

He ended the letter by saying: "I left Brazil but I haven't abandoned Brazilians.

While Flávio Bolsonaro said that he planned to lead the opposition from the US, it was not clear how he planned to do that.

His party recognised the election result and while some of its politicians have described Bolsonaro as a "political exile", his campaign manager, Rogério Marinho, stated on Wednesday that "there is no evidence" of the electoral fraud that Bolsonaro alleges took place.

Ainda não está claro onde Bolsonaro pretende ficar ou por quanto tempo.

His younger brother, Eduardo, has been in self-imposed exile in the US since March 2025, saying he was the victim of political persecution. The two siblings posted a photo of themselves holding a Brazilian flag on Wednesday.

A administração Trump forneceu vistos para Flávio Bolsonaro e sua família, mas não informou que tipo de vistos eram.

The US president did not explicitly endorse Bolsonaro in the run-up to the election and told reporters he "won't get involved" when asked about Bolsonaro's allegations of election fraud.

No início da semana, ele havia dito que “parecia outra eleição manipulada”, sem apresentar qualquer evidência.

And on Thursday, Trump told reporters that "the election was a very great embarrassment to the people of Brazil.

How did Flávio Bolsonaro end up in Miami.

O retorno de Lula no Brasil abala as ambições de Trump para a América Latina.