Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday criticised defeated presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro for leaving the country after his election loss. He called the move “shameful” and said that his rival should have stayed to defend himself against allegations.
The comments came after US officials confirmed that Flávio Bolsonaro and his family would receive American visas, allowing them to enter the United States following his defeat in Sunday’s presidential election.
A senior US State Department official told the Associated Press that visas would be issued to Bolsonaro and his family but did not reveal whether they had already travelled or were preparing to leave Brazil. The official spoke anonymously because of visa confidentiality rules.
Also read: Flavio Bolsonaro’s whereabouts unclear amid reports Brazil’s Senator fled to the US
What did Lula Da Silva say?
Lula said he had just learned that Bolsonaro had left Brazil and argued that the senator should have remained in the country to prove his innocence in ongoing investigations.
“Leaving Brazil is shameful,” Lula said, according to Reuters. He added, “I regret that he left Brazil. He could have stayed and proven that the accusations are not true.”
Lula Da Silva further criticized his family and said, “This is what the Bolsonaro family is like Brazil is their second Nation, the US is the first.”
Bolsonaro to leave Brazil after refusing passport order
Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure followed a Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports. The deadline to comply expired Tuesday afternoon, but authorities had not immediately confirmed whether he had handed over the documents.
This story is being updated.
