Bolsonaro lost the presidential election late last year to his leftist rival, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He flew to Florida two days before the transition of power, and it was unclear how long he would stay there.

More than a week after he left, his supporters forced their way into the parliament building, disillusioned with the election result. Bolsonaro, known as Tropical Trump, has been blamed for causing the storm. He never conceded defeat and raised doubts about the result even before the election. The Supreme Court is investigating Bolsonaro’s role in the riots.

Opponents said Bolsonaro fled the country fearing various legal investigations. The illegal importation of jewelery worth crores of dollars is also under investigation. The right-wing populist still has many supporters in Brazil, but his party leadership fears his popularity will wane because of his long stay abroad.

The 68-year-old former president said before boarding a flight to Brazil that he did not want to lead the opposition. He wants to take the leadership and travel across the country to help his party. Sensing that his “work is not yet done,” he earlier hinted at the possibility of contesting the next presidential election.

In the capital, security was significantly increased on Thursday and roads were closed to prevent further disturbances.