Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro asked for a large-scale protest on Rio’s renowned Copacabana beach later this month to demonstrate the depth of his support as legal obstacles loom.
Following a gathering in Sao Paulo in February that, according to academics, drew over 185,000 people, is the April 21 rally.
“We are going to follow up what happened in Sao Paulo … and deliver news about our democracy and rule of law,” Bolsonaro said in a video shared on his social media accounts.
Authorities in Brazil are looking into if the former far-right leader instigated a “coup attempt” to stop current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running against him in the 2022 election, from taking power in January 2023.
On February 8, Bolsonaro’s passport was seized by police as part of the investigation.
He has already received an eight-year ban from holding public office for defaming Brazil’s voting system in advance of the 2022 elections. It was suggested by federal authorities last month that he face charges for fabricating his Covid-19 vaccination documents.
Although Bolsonaro spent two days at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia in February, his attorneys refuted reports that he was trying to evade legal action.
The former leader “hid” at the diplomatic facility, according to the New York Times, but his defenders said Bolsonaro was only visiting officials from the “friendly country”—led by fellow far-right politician Viktor Orban.
All accusations against Bolsonaro have been refuted, with him claiming to be the victim of “persecution.”
In a sharply divided nation, the 69-year-old Bolsonaro has maintained a core of devoted supporters despite the numerous charges and investigations leveled against him, much like Donald Trump in the United States.
