Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro declared himself “the leader of Brazil” in a letter posted on X on Wednesday, after reportedly traveling to the United States via Argentina using an Italian passport, according to Xinhua. The letter, posted after a short trip abroad, contains several claims of electoral fraud, including allegations that the Supreme Federal Court overstepped its authority and that an order to extend voting hours was communicated only after the official closing time, according to the source.
In the text, Bolsonaro said he would lead the opposition from abroad, thanked former U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei, and denied fleeing Brazil despite a Brazilian media report that he had not left the country. The letter also noted that the Supreme Federal Court had barred him from leaving Brazil in connection with an investigation into suspected money laundering and illegal transfers of funds abroad.
Lula defeated Bolsonaro by more than 4 million votes in Sunday’s runoff, and only about 34,300 votes were cast after the original 5 p.m. (2000 GMT) closing time, far fewer than Lula’s margin of victory. The court ordered voting to be extended until 7 p.m. on Sunday after both campaigns reported difficulty voters faced in reaching polling stations, but it applied only to stations that remained open at 5 p.m., according to the report.
Earlier, on Saturday, Bolsonaro had declared outside a conference hall in Brasília that he was the rightful president‑elect, stating that “the electorate has spoken” and “the voice of Brazil is clear—Flavio Bolsonaro is the legitimate leader.” The claim was made before the Electoral Court had certified the results and was met with skepticism from opposition parties, as reported by Reuters.
