Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has admitted to “some mistakes” during his tenure before supporters in the United States, according to a video released Monday.
“In four years, every day was a Monday. Were there any flaws, yes, that makes sense. We made some mistakes,” Jair Bolsonaro told his followers, according to a video posted by the news portal Metropoles.
The former far-right leader left Brazil on December 30, two days before being handed over to his left-wing successor Lula, who defeated him in the October presidential elections.
His supporters advise him not to return to Brazil
In the excerpt published by news site Metrópoles, his supporters advise him not to return to Brazil, where the Supreme Court recently included him in an investigation into his role in the Jan. 8 looting of power centers. That day, thousands of people identified as Bolsonarists stormed the headquarters of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court, refusing to recognize the election results. “I regret what happened,” Jair Bolsonaro said, calling the events “incredible.”
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Infrastructure, priceless works of art and furniture that are part of the national heritage were destroyed during the riots. Nearly 1,200 people have been jailed for what the Lula government, in office since Jan. 1, has described as “terrorists.”
He denies any involvement in the ‘looting’
Jair Bolsonaro, who remained isolated and almost silent in his final weeks in office, condemned the “looting” and denied any involvement in the attacks.
During the dramatic Covid crisis, which claimed at least 687,000 lives in Brazil, his lack of empathy shocked much of the population, prompting a parliamentary commission of inquiry to call for his indictment for “crimes against humanity”.
During his tenure, average annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased by 75.5% compared to the previous decade.
He is also accused of overspending with the presidential credit card during his tenure, about €10,000 at a bakery the day after his son’s wedding.