Lula reacts to Flávio’s flight: "Brazil is his second homeland, because his first is being a bootlicker for the U.S."

Regarding the apparent flight of far-right politician Flávio Bolsonaro to the U.S., Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remarked that he had chosen his "first homeland" as his destination, a reference to the close ties that the former candidate and the rest of his family maintain with Washington.

"That’s the Bolsonaro family for you. Brazil is their second homeland. Their first homeland is being a bootlicker for the U.S.," the president stated on October 27, speaking from the Planalto Palace, where he is celebrating his 81st birthday.

In this context, he stated that he was only "just now" learning that his opponent "has left" following his defeat in last Sunday’s election, contrasting this behavior with his own conduct on the three occasions he was defeated before becoming head of state for the first time, as well as with the actions of other opponents he had previously bested at the polls.

 "I’ve just learned that my opponent has left. I don’t know... there’s no information about it. Look, I lost an election to [Fernando] Collor [de Mello] and I stayed in Brazil. I lost elections to Fernando Henrique Cardoso on two occasions and I stayed in Brazil. [Current Vice President Geraldo] Alckmin lost to me and stayed in Brazil. [José] Serra lost to me and stayed in Brazil," he remarked to those present.

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