A former Brazilian president who — like President-elect Donald Trump — has been accused of undermining democratic institutions and promoting baseless claims about electoral fraud, says Trump invited him to his upcoming inauguration.
Jair Bolsonaro made the remarks Wednesday.
-"Very honored to receive from the President of the USA, @realDonaldTrump , an invitation to his inauguration and that of his Vice President @JDVance , on January 20th," Bolsonaro wrote on X.
He added: "My lawyer, Dr. Paulo Bueno, has already forwarded a request to Minister Alexandre de Moraes for me to get my passport back so that I can attend this honorable and important historical event."
Bolsonaro, who is facing legal troubles of his own, may not be able to attend, Axios reported, noting that Bolsonaro's son said Trump "identifies himself" with his father as he, too, was a "victim of it in the United States." The younger Bolsonaro referenced "disgusting lawfare," a common attack in MAGA circles.
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Human Rights Watch in 2021 rebuked Bolsonaro for "threatening democratic rule in Brazil."
"He is pursuing campaigns to intimidate the Supreme Court, signaling that he may attempt to cancel the 2022 election or otherwise deny Brazilians the right to elect their leaders, and violating critics’ freedom of expression," the organization wrote at the time.
“President Bolsonaro, an apologist for Brazil’s abusive military dictatorship, is increasingly hostile to the democratic system of checks and balances,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at the organization. “He is using a mixture of insults and threats to intimidate the Supreme Court, which is overseeing investigations into his conduct, and with his baseless claims of electoral fraud seems to be laying the groundwork to either try to cancel next year’s elections or contest the will of the people if he is not re-elected.”