Messages discovered on former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s phone revealed that he had previously intended to flee to Argentina and ask for political asylum, Brazil’s federal police said.
In connection with his trial, police formally accused Bolsonaro and one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, of obstruction of justice. The former Brazilian president is presently awaiting a Supreme Court verdict regarding an alleged coup attempt and found out Wednesday that he may be facing another case.
The documents pertaining to his asylum request were seen by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
According to a 170-page report, on Feb 10, 2024, Bolsonaro requested for political asylum from Argentine President Javier Milei. Two days after police searched his office and residence as part of the purported coup plan probe, he preserved the document.
Bolsonaro acknowledged spending two nights at the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília near that period, which fuelled rumours that he might have been trying to evade arrest.
According to the report, Bolsonaro has disregarded the precautionary measures put in place for his house arrest and disseminated information to his supporters “to directly hit Brazilian democratic institutions, notably the Supreme Court and even Brazil’s Congress,” which is part of the larger police charge of obstruction of justice.
After police sent the records to Brazil’s Supreme Court, the AP examined the police evidence, which included voice chats and messaging app exchanges. If the attorney general chooses to charge Bolsonaro, he would have to go through another trial.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, gave Bolsonaro’s attorneys 48 hours to explain why the former president sought political asylum in Argentina and disregarded other house arrest precautionary measures, like avoiding contact with persons outside of his family.
Bolsonaro claimed he was the victim of political persecution in Brazil, in a 33-page letter to Milei. Both are ardent supporters of US President Donald Trump, who recently chose to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian products, echoing some of the former president’s assertions.
“I, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, request political asylum from Your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina, under an urgent regime, as I find myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear for my life,” the former Brazilian leader wrote.
The Brazilian Supreme Court confiscated Bolsonaro’s passport on Feb 8, 2024. He has made several attempts to regain it, including earlier this year before Trump was sworn in. Since the former president is viewed as a flight risk, De Moraes turned down every request.
The Argentine government has not yet received anything, according to Milei’s spokesperson Manuel Adorni. Bolsonaro did not comment about the investigation.
While current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva did not attend Milei’s inauguration in December 2023, Bolsonaro did. The relationship between Lula and Milei has been chilly ever since the right-wing Argentine came to power.
Investigators confiscated the passport and cell phone of Silas Malafaia, a popular evangelical pastor and Bolsonaro’s ardent ally, but he was not charged with obstruction of justice.