On Sunday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began his term with a lavish inauguration that featured a motorcade, a music festival, and a massive turnout of supporters in the central esplanade of Brasília, Brazil’s capital.
Yet, a huge absence was noted: the outgoing far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.
Mr. Bolsonaro was meant to ceremonially hand over the presidential sash to Mr. Lula, a crucial symbol of the peaceful transfer of power in a nation that still remembers its 21-year military dictatorship, which ended in 1985.
Instead, Mr. Bolsonaro was far removed from the celebration, staying in a rented house near Disney World, Florida. Facing various investigations related to his presidency, he arrived in Orlando on Friday night and plans to remain in the U.S. for at least a month.
Mr. Bolsonaro had previously expressed doubts about the legitimacy of Brazil’s election systems without providing evidence and did not concede his defeat in October unequivocally.
In a rare public statement on Friday, he admitted that he attempted to prevent Mr. Lula from taking office but was unsuccessful.
“Within the laws, respecting the Constitution, I searched for a way out of this,” he said. He then urged his supporters to move on, stating, “We live in a democracy or we don’t. No one wants an adventure.”