Bolsonaro gains supporters in the US, mocking and avoiding politics

Within hours of leaving office, former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) received supporters and signed autographs for supporters who visited him at his condominium in the Orlando area of ​​Florida in the southeastern United States.

Bolsonaro left Brazil on Friday (30th), breaking with democratic tradition and not passing the sash to Lula (PT), who will be sworn in as president this Sunday (1st).

Hundreds of Brazilians have visited the condominium since Bolsonaro arrived Friday night, where access restrictions are minimal and there are no security barriers.

The crowd of Brazilians to see the current former president has been intense since Saturday and more Portuguese than English is heard on the streets of the condominium.

In the morning, supporters tried to deliver breakfast baskets to the former president, which were denied by Bolsonaro advisers citing security measures.

At 9:00 a.m. Sunday, supporters gathered on the sidewalk in front of the house, and Bolsonaro walked out the door at 9:55 a.m. local time. Good-humored, he mocked the number of signatures he was signing, and took personal photos with his constituents, devoid of political opinions.

After that, he walked around the few blocks of condominiums with bodyguards, unable to keep up with his supporters. Neither former first lady Michelle nor Bolsonaro’s children attended the scene to speak to supporters.

According to an adviser, the former president spent New Year’s Day at home with his family after receiving supporters at various times from Saturday to 7pm.

He was expected to visit former US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, 280 kilometers away, but the former president stayed at home.

Supporters traveled from across the United States to see Bolsonaro. One protester said he traveled 24 hours from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the northeast of the country.

The presence of a former Brazilian head of state in the city surrounding the Disney park surprised Americans, who made humorous comments about Bolsonaro’s desire to spend New Year’s.