Brasilia attacks: Bolsonaro wants a six-month visa to stay in the United States

MIAMI | Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under investigation for his role in the violent attack on the headquarters of national institutions in Brasilia on January 8, has applied for a six-month visa to stay in the States States, his lawyer said Monday.

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The far-right former president had left Brazil for Florida two days before Lula’s inauguration on January 1, and his current visa is set to expire soon, according to law firm AG Immigration.

“We look forward to bringing the utmost satisfaction and desired results to our client,” the firm said in a statement.

Mr. Bolsonaro is said to have entered the United States on a visa issued to visiting leaders, which will expire on Tuesday as he is no longer on official business.

The former Brazilian president had indicated on the CNN antenna in Brazil that he intended to return at the end of January and that he was even considering bringing forward his return for health reasons.

Jair Bolsonaro was the victim of a stabbing in 2018 during an electoral trip. He has since undergone several surgeries for bowel obstruction.

On January 8, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters, unhappy with Lula da Silva’s victory over the far-right ex-president in the October 2022 presidential election, invaded and vandalized the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court in Brasilia.

Anderson Torres, former Bolsonarist Minister of Justice, was arrested on January 14 as part of the investigation into the looting, as he was returning by plane from the United States.

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