The Brazilian Presidential Election

Flávio Bolsonaro’s party acknowledges election defeat

Flávio Bolsonaro has refused to concede his defeat to Lula da Silva in Sunday’s Brazilian presidential election. However, his party has now done so, the Financial Times reports.

“We acknowledge the presidential election result announced on Sunday,” in which Lula emerged as the clear winner.

Following the election, Bolsonaro stated that he would not accept the result. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk—both of whom have previously alleged fraud in elections that did not go their way—have also labeled the election “rigged.”

The controversy centers on a decision by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin to extend voting hours by two hours, following complaints from both Lula and Bolsonaro regarding a shortage of buses. Zanin previously served as Lula’s lawyer. 

Reports: Flávio Bolsonaro attempting to leave Brazil

Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost the Brazilian presidential election on Sunday evening, has crossed the border into Argentina and is reportedly en route to the United States. This is according to sources cited by the Argentine news outlet Infobae, as reported by Ekot.

Brazilian federal police are conducting checks at border crossings to determine whether Bolsonaro is leaving or has already left the country, according to the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. Neither Argentine nor Brazilian authorities have confirmed that Bolsonaro has crossed the border.

Yesterday, the federal police requested that Bolsonaro surrender his passport. However, sources told Reuters on Tuesday afternoon that he missed the deadline and that the documents have since been blocked.