Jair Bolsonaro Says He Likely Faces Death, Arrest Or Another Presidential Term

As Jair Bolsonaro’s term as Brazil’s 38th president comes to an end on Saturday, his future now seems to hang on the balance between the possibilities of an arrest, a second term or his impending death. The conservative Brazilian leader had been relatively silent since losing the election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but many of his far-right supporters stand loyal in his servitude and remain camped outside military buildings hoping to keep the president seated in power.

According to the Associated Press, Bolsonaro was only working an hour each day since losing the election and already authorized his chief-of-staff to handle the transition process. Trucks have been spotted driving up to the presidential palace residence and loading up personal items. Most of the stuff were art pieces gifted by the leader’s supporters which included life-size wooden sculptures of himself. Despite this, many of his loyal backers insisted that their president would not give up his fight although some have already left their encampment in several key gathering sites.

The Liberal Party was said to have declared its opposition to the incoming government and has designated Bolsonaro to lead the party. However, political analyst and professor at the Getulio Varga Foundation, Guilherme Casarões, stated that many of the Liberal Party’s members are neither fully loyal nor ideologically aligned with Bolsonaro’s principles, citing how the party is more centrist and well-reputed to make deals with the government in power.

“If he doesn’t manage to have total control over the Liberal Party, we are going to see a new split,” Casarões remarked.

By Sunday, Bolsonaro will no longer have the privilege of legal protection and could face charges in lower courts. He faces legal threats and is under investigation by the Supreme Court for illegally spreading lies about Covid-19 vaccines, releasing confidential information, interfering with Federal Police and spreading false information on Supreme Court justices.

While Bolsonaro has escaped arrest and has also cheated his impending death after losing to Lula last Oct.30, he did get 49% of the presidential vote which fuels the possibility of winning a second term should he run for president in 2026.