Corruption in Brazil: Bolsonaro spends two days in Hungarian embassy

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been embroiled in a new scandal. US newspaper The New York Times confirmed through images from security cameras at the Hungarian mission in Brasilia that the former president was inside the facilities from February 12 to 14, days after a judge confiscated his passport.

According to the newspaper, Bolsonaro arrived at the embassy four days after federal police launched an operation against him and his inner circle for allegedly plotting against the government of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

The former far-right president is facing charges of attempted coup, with testimony from top police and military officials bolstering speculation that he was plotting to overturn the election results handed to incumbent Brazilian President Luis. As a winner. Inácio Lula da Silva.

If convicted, Bolsonaro cannot face criminal charges if he takes refuge in a foreign embassy. Two of the former president's close associates have already been arrested by local authorities.

The former ruler was previously accused of evading justice when Lula da Silva left the country for the United States days after taking office.

“These images only reinforce that Bolsonaro is an admitted fugitive, but the courts and the federal police are not the place for me to say these images (published by the New York Times),” said Minister of Institutional Relations Alexandre Padilha. An appearance with local media from Brazil's capital.

A visit to “maintain contacts with officials from a friendly country”.

In response to allegations of the former president's possible escape intentions, his lawyer Fabio Wajngarten, who defended his client, noted that Bolsonaro's stay at the embassy arose after an “invitation” by Hungarian staff. Officials of a friendly country” and “will receive updated information on the political panorama of both countries.”

“Any other explanation beyond the information presented here is an obvious work of fiction, unrelated to the reality of the facts and, in effect, another piece of fake news,” said Wajngarten, head of Bolsonaro's legal team. Networks.

The relationship between Jair Bolsonaro and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could be another motivation for this unexpected “visit”.

Bolsonaro and Orbán, both far-right politicians, have maintained a close “friendship” since their respective heads of state at the same time.

Bolsonaro referred to Orban as “his brother” during a state visit to Hungary in 2022.

“As is well known, the former president maintains good relations with the Hungarian Prime Minister (Viktor Orbán), with whom he recently met in Buenos Aires at the inauguration of Argentine President Javier Millay,” the report's authors said. .

Brasilia calls the Hungarian ambassador and asks for an explanation

After learning about the situation, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry summoned the European country's highest diplomatic representative on Brazilian soil, Miklos Halmai, and clarified the reasons why Bolsonaro spent more than 24 hours inside the embassy facilities.

According to the Foreign Ministry, which did not disclose details of the content of the talks, Halmai was received at the office of the Secretary for Europe and North America, María Luisa Escorel.

The former president has been embroiled in a whirlwind of legal scandals since leaving the presidency in 2022. In addition to the coup attempt charges, Bolsonaro has been politically disqualified until 2030 by a Brazilian court. A process that saw him fail before Lula.

In addition to the above, federal police on March 19 charged him with falsifying his Covid-19 vaccination certificates, which is a criminal offense under Brazilian law.

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