Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro returned to his country after three months. He landed shortly before noon (Netherlands time) from Orlando, Florida, at the capital airport in Brasilia. Thousands of supporters gathered there to welcome him. Troops are ordered to attend en masse to prevent disturbances.

Right-wing Bolsonaro lost the presidential election to his left-wing rival, Lula da Silva, in late October last year. He won a fraction of the vote more than Bolsonaro, just under 51 percent. Two days before Lula was sworn in, Bolsonaro left the country and took refuge in the United States.

A few days after Lula was sworn in, Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília, including the parliament and the Supreme Court. It is not entirely clear what role Bolsonaro played in this. His opponents said he fled the country, fearing various legal investigations.

Bolsonaro said shortly before his return to Brazil that he had no intention of leading Lula’s opposition. However, he would like to help his Liberal Party in opposition. Earlier, Bolsonaro had hinted that he wanted to run for re-election in the upcoming presidential elections.