It used to be that when the president of a democratic nation lost an election, they’d concede, and life would go on. That doesn’t always seem to be the case anymore.
Jair Bolsonaro was, until recently, the far-right president of Brazil. However the country’s presidential election on October 30th saw leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva win the vote. His inauguration day was this past weekend, on New Year’s Day.
However Bolsonaro wasn’t present this past Sunday to continue with the tradition of passing the presidential sash as a symbol of the peaceful transfer of power. That’s because on Friday night, after weeks of insisting the election had been rigged (according to the New York Times, he had, “…built a narrative of fraudulent elections based on inaccuracies, out-of-context reports, circumstantial evidence, conspiracy theories and downright falsehoods”), and not accepting his loss, he left the country.
And where did he go? Disney World.
Well, obviously he didn’t go there like Super Bowl winners do.
Nah, he’s just staying at the 8 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom vacation home of Brazilian MMA legend Jose Aldo, a retired UFC fighter and longtime supporter of the ex-president. It’s at Encore Resort at Reunion, a vacation home community about 5 minutes from the southwest corner of the Walt Disney World property.
You can even rent the house out (well, when fallen heads of state aren’t staying there), for prices starting at $519 per night. Here’s what it looks like…check out that Minion-themed bedroom at 9:20!
Anyway, upon his arrival, Bolsonaro was said to meet his neighbors…
Já em Orlando apoiadores receberam o Presidente Bolsonaro 31-12-22 pic.twitter.com/dZ8ezJ6tn2
— 🇧🇷 VLOGDOLISBOA (@VlogdoLisboa) December 31, 2022
…and then went to eat at a nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel reports that on Tuesday, about 40 of Bolsonaro’s fans, which included Brazilian Americans, as well as Brazilians who were vacationing at Disney, waited outside the vacation home, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fallen leader. He didn’t disappoint.
Supporters greet former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro outside a vacation home near Disney World in Florida. pic.twitter.com/nKt1CSPXEa
— Skyler Swisher (@SkylerSwisher) January 3, 2023
Many people in the crowd were heard saying the election was, “stolen.”
As per the New York Times, Bolsonaro reportedly plans to stay in the vacation home for the next one to three months to see whether or not the new administration will pursue investigations against him (the Times suggests Bolsonaro faces five probes, including the release of classified documents, attacks on Brazil’s voting machines and potential connections to “digital militias” that spread misinformation on his behalf). However commentators in Brazil are suggesting he plans on staying in the Sunshine (and “freedom”) State, “in exile,” to avoid possible arrest.
Time will tell. But for now, I guess he’ll be just another “Florida Man.”
Feature Photo: Public Domain, Presidential Archives.
Caption: President Donald J. Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence, welcomes President Jair Bolsonaro of the Federative Republic of Brazil to a working dinner Saturday evening, March 7, 2020, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
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