A group of 32 US and 38 Brazilian Democratic lawmakers from different parties released a joint statement this Wednesday (11) accusing former President Donald Trump and his former advisers Steve Bannon and Jason Miller of “encouraging [o ex-presidente Jair] Bolsonaro to contest the election results in Brazil” and calling for accountability for attacks on democracy.
The statement, obtained by Sheet, cites the meeting between federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro with Trump, Bannon and Miller after his father’s defeat in the second round of the election, on October 30. “After the meetings, Bolsonaro’s party tried to invalidate thousands of votes in the Brazilian elections. All those involved must be held accountable”, says the joint statement.
Lawmakers point to similarities between the attacks on the Capitol, in Washington, on January 6, 2021, and those on Congress, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and the Planalto Palace, in Brasília, last Sunday (8). In the text, they claim that “extreme right-wing agitators in Brazil and the United States” are coordinating efforts to threaten democracy.
The Washington Brazil Office (WBO) was responsible for coordinating the initiative between parliamentarians from both countries. “We hope that on Lula’s visit to the US, the issues of democracy and human rights will be at the center of attention”, says James Green, president of the WBO Board of Directors and professor at Brown University. President Lula Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) should meet with American leader Joe Biden at the White House in the first half of February.
The statement increases pressure on the democrat, amid discussions in the US about Bolsonaro’s status in the country – he has been in Florida since December 30th. Democratic congressmen want the White House to deport Bolsonaro. Joaquín Castro, who represents the minority Democrats on the Western Hemisphere Committee, told US CNN that “the US should not be a refuge for the authoritarian who inspired domestic terrorism in Brazil.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as the AOC, part of the far left wing of the Democrats, posted on Twitter: “The US needs to stop sheltering Bolsonaro.”
THE Sheet Deputy Raúl Grijalva stated: “Bolsonaro needs to be removed from the US so that he faces the consequences in Brazil of having instigated attacks on democracy in Brazil, similarly to what former President Donald Trump did in the US and which culminated in [na insurreição] on the Capitol.” “Brazilians and the country’s democracy have the right to judge Bolsonaro’s responsibility.”
On Monday (9), State Department spokesman Ned Price indicated that Bolsonaro cannot remain in the US with the head of state visa he used to enter the country. If he does not seek the US government by the end of January to change the category of the visa that authorizes him to remain on American soil —as a tourist—, he will be in an irregular situation and may even be deported.
He made the reservation that he could not speak specifically about Bolsonaro’s case, since the visa situation of individuals is confidential information.
The deputies’ statement released this Wednesday, however, does not call for the deportation of the former Brazilian president because there is still no consensus on this issue. Part of the legislators argues that it would be better for Bolsonaro to stay in the US and be tried by the country’s Justice for allegedly conspiring on American soil to carry out a coup d’état in Brazil. Others want Bolsonaro removed so he can face investigations and a possible CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) in Brazil.
The declaration was signed by 34 Democrats, including Grijalva, AOC and Adam Schiff, as well as independent senator Bernie Sanders. On the Brazilian side are 39 parliamentarians, such as deputies Tabata Amaral (PSB-SP) and Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL-SP) and senators Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP) and Jaques Wagner (PT-BA).
In an interview with CNN, hours after being hospitalized in Orlando on Monday, Bolsonaro said he intends to anticipate his return to Brazil. “I came to spend some time away with the family. But I didn’t have quiet days. First, there was this unfortunate episode yesterday [domingo] in Brazil and after my stay in the hospital”, he said. “I came [aos EUA] to stay until the end of the month, but I intend to anticipate my return. Because, in Brazil, doctors already know about my intestinal obstruction problem because of the stab wound. Here, the doctors did not accompany me.” The former president was discharged on Tuesday (10).
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
