By Isabel Teles
SAO PAULO, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s decision to declare himself the country’s rightful “leader” has failed to garner support from key figures in his political camp, leaving the right-wing lawmaker increasingly isolated in Brazilian politics.
Bolsonaro made the claim in a letter he posted on social media after arriving in the United States on Wednesday, having left Brazil following his defeat to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by more than 4 million votes in Sunday’s runoff.
Bolsonaro has cited the fact that a Lula-appointed Supreme Court justice extended voting by two hours due to Lula campaign allegations of voter suppression in left-leaning northeastern states, though Bolsonaro’s campaign had also sought a voting extension due to rain in conservative southern states.
He alleged he was a victim of an electoral coup, but did not provide evidence for electoral fraud.
Lula’s victory has been recognized by Brazil’s electoral authority, global leaders, international observers, and Bolsonaro’s own party.
“I did not like it,” the head of the senator’s Liberal Party, Valdemar Costa Neto, told reporters on Thursday when asked about the letter.
“Flavio went through a difficult situation — we understand that — but we do not approve of it. We want to move the country forward,” he said later.
Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, a prominent Bolsonaro ally who campaigned vigorously for the lawmaker, told newspaper Estadao that Brazil’s election results must be respected and that it was time to move forward.
US President Donald Trump, who confirmed his administration had allowed Bolsonaro to enter the country, declined to comment on Thursday when asked who he thought was the legitimate winner.
“I watched the election. I didn’t take sides. I let it be. I was asked not to take sides by the president, the current president,” he said.
PARTIES RECOGNIZE LULA’S WIN
Aecio Neves, head of the center-right Brazilian Social Democracy Party and a vocal critic of Lula’s Workers’ Party, described Bolsonaro’s behavior as “incomprehensible” in a statement, adding that opposition politics must be conducted from within the country.
Center-right party Uniao Brasil, which backed Bolsonaro in the second round, said it was essential that institutions “remain greater than any individual.” The election was conducted with integrity and its results must be respected, it added.
The centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) party, which also supported Bolsonaro in the runoff, struck a similar tone.
“The MDB reaffirms its total confidence in the Brazilian electoral system and, therefore, in the legitimacy of the result of the election last Sunday,” it said.
‘FLAVIO IS VENTING’
In his letter, Bolsonaro pledged to lead the opposition from abroad and “assume the risks” that local politicians could not, adding he would support a potential bid by Senator Rogerio Marinho for Senate president in 2027.
Marinho, who served as Bolsonaro’s campaign manager, told reporters that Bolsonaro remains “a leader” and “the most prominent figure on the right” in Brazil, given the support he received from nearly 60 million voters.
But Marinho also rejected allegations of electoral fraud.
“The Liberal Party cannot make that claim, nor can I make that claim, because there is no evidence to support it,” he said. “Flavio is venting in response to the second-round election results, which were unexpected for all of us.”
(Reporting by Isabel Teles; Additional reporting by Jacob Bogage in Washington; Editing by Gabriel Araujo and Aurora Ellis)
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