On February eight, Brazil's federal police seized the passport of the previous president Jair Bolsonaro and arrested a pair of his former aides on costs of plotting a coup after Bolsonaro misplaced the 2022 presidential election.
4 days later, Bolsonaro was on the entrance of the Hungarian embassy in Brazil, ready to be let in, based on photos from the embassy's safety digicam obtained by The New York Instances.
Footage reveals the previous president stayed on the embassy for the subsequent two days, accompanied by two safety guards and attended by the Hungarian ambassador and employees members. Bolsonaro, the topic of a number of felony investigations, can’t be arrested at a overseas embassy that welcomes him as a result of they’re legally past the attain of nationwide authorities.
Staying on the embassy means that the previous president sought to make the most of their friendship with one other far-right chief, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in an try and evade the Brazilian justice system whereas dealing with felony investigations in his nation.
The Instances analyzed three days of footage from 4 cameras on the Hungarian embassy that present Bolsonaro arrived late on February 12 and left on the afternoon of February 14. In between, he remained principally out of sight.
The Instances verified the photographs by evaluating them with photos from the embassy, together with satellite tv for pc photos displaying the automotive through which Bolsonaro arrived parked on the road on February 13.
A Hungarian embassy official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate inside issues, confirmed the plan to take Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro's lawyer declined to remark. The Hungarian embassy didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Bolsonaro and Orban have had a detailed relationship for years, discovering frequent floor as two of essentially the most right-wing leaders in democratic nations.
Bolsonaro known as Orban his “brother” throughout a go to to Hungary in 2022. Later that yr, Hungary's overseas minister requested an official within the Bolsonaro administration if Hungary might do something to assist Bolsonaro's re-election. based on the Brazilian authorities's abstract of his feedback.
In December, Bolsonaro and Orban met in Buenos Aires on the inauguration of Argentina's new right-wing president, Javier Milei. There, Orban known as Bolsonaro a “hero”.
Bolsonaro faces in-depth felony investigations in Brazil. Within the 15 months since he left workplace, his home was searched, his cell phone and passport had been confiscated, and a few of his allies and former associates had been arrested.
The circumstances concentrating on Bolsonaro embody a variety of allegations, together with that he participated in conspiracies to promote jewellery he acquired as a present from the state when he was president and falsified his COVID-19 vaccination data so he might journey to the States United. Brazil's federal police final week really helpful felony costs in opposition to the previous president within the case of pretend COVID vaccine playing cards, however prosecutors have but to remark.
In essentially the most critical allegations, police have mentioned Bolsonaro conspired with a few of his ministers and high aides to attempt to keep in energy after his election loss. Police arrested a number of of his key allies on February eight and raided the properties of others.
Hours later, Orban tweeted a message of encouragement to Bolsonaro, calling him “an sincere patriot” and telling him to “preserve combating.”
On February 12, 4 days later, Bolsonaro posted a video on-line interesting to his followers at a rally in Sao Paulo that month. “I wish to defend myself in opposition to all these accusations,” he mentioned within the video. “Till then, God keen.”
That very same day he went to the Hungarian embassy.
The photographs
Shortly earlier than his arrival, safety footage reveals Miklós Halmai, the nation's ambassador to Brazil, strolling and typing on his cellphone. The small embassy was virtually empty, aside from a handful of Hungarian diplomats dwelling there. Native employees members had been on trip as a result of Bolsonaro's keep got here amid Brazil's nationwide carnival celebrations.
At 21:34, a black automotive appeared on the embassy door. A person got here out and eventually clapped his fingers to get the eye of somebody inside. Three minutes later, Halmai opened the door and indicated the place to park.
Bolsonaro and two males who seemed to be safety guards acquired out of the car. Halmai led them inside. After chatting briefly, the 4 males boarded an elevator.
In response to the footage and the embassy official, over the subsequent two hours, embassy employees made a number of journeys to an space of the constructing the place there have been two visitor flats. They introduced bedding, water and different gadgets, till the exercise was stopped at 23:40.
The following day, at 07:26, Halmai got here out of the residential space and was typing on her cellphone. Half an hour later, the ambassador and one other man introduced a pot of espresso into the dwelling space.
For the remainder of the day, Hungarian employees wandered across the embassy premises, together with dad and mom with a baby.
Within the early afternoon, Bolsonaro walked via the embassy car parking zone with considered one of his safety guards.
On two events, Bolsonaro's safety guards left. Round lunch, a guard returned with what seemed to be a pizza.
At eight:38 p.m., a guard returned to the embassy car parking zone with one other man within the again seat. With a bag, that man entered the residential space the place Bolsonaro seemed to be staying. The person left 38 minutes later.
Because the automotive drove away, a person resembling Bolsonaro got here out of the residential space to look at.
On February 14, Hungarian diplomats contacted native Brazilian employees, who had been resulting from return to work the subsequent day, and informed them to remain dwelling for the remainder of the week, based on the embassy official. They didn’t clarify why, the official mentioned.
That day, Bolsonaro first appeared on safety digicam footage at four:14 p.m., when he and his two bodyguards left the residential space with two backpacks and headed straight for his automotive. Halmai was behind. The ambassador watched the automotive drive away and waved.
hypothesis
The specter of a jail sentence for Bolsonaro has fueled a lot hypothesis that he could also be attempting to flee justice. Two of his youngsters utilized for Italian passports, prompting the nation's overseas minister to publicly deny that Bolsonaro, who’s of Italian descent, had additionally utilized for citizenship.
The evening earlier than leaving workplace, Bolsonaro flew to Florida and stayed there for 3 months. One among his most distinguished supporters, a far-right pundit named Allan dos Santos, has been capable of keep away from arrest in Brazil on costs of threatening federal judges whereas looking for political asylum in the USA.
Two weeks after Bolsonaro left the embassy (it’s unclear why he left), he held the deliberate rally in Sao Paulo. Impartial observers estimated that 185,000 followers attended. On the rally, Bolsonaro repeated his protection that he’s a sufferer of political persecution.
He and his attorneys have argued that Brazil's Supreme Courtroom has abused its energy, interfered within the 2022 election and is now attempting to imprison him and his allies. They not too long ago pointed to the recordings of a former Bolsonaro aide whose confessions have turn into key to the investigation, claiming that investigators have a preconceived narrative that Bolsonaro is responsible.
Within the weeks since, Bolsonaro's authorized troubles have worsened. The nation's Supreme Courtroom launched paperwork displaying that leaders of Brazil's military and air pressure informed police that after shedding the 2022 election, Bolsonaro introduced navy leaders with a plan to overturn the outcomes. Navy leaders informed police they refused and warned the previous president they might arrest him if he tried to take action.
Bolsonaro mentioned this month that he was not involved in regards to the arrest.
“I might be abroad, however I made a decision to return again right here in any respect prices,” he mentioned at a political occasion. “I’m not scared.”