According to CNN Brasil, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has applied for a six-month tourist visa to stay in the United States. Bolsonaro's law firm confirmed that the request was made
on Friday, January 27, and comes amidst reports that he entered the US on an A-1 visa, which is granted to heads of state and only valid while they hold that position. However, the US State Department has declined to comment on Bolsonaro's visa status, citing confidentiality.
Bolsonaro has been in Florida since December 30, departing Brazil a few days before the January 1 inauguration of his successor, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. From January 1 to 30, five civil servants were authorized to accompany him to Miami.
However, Bolsonaro's presence in Florida has drawn criticism from House Democrats, who in mid-January called on US President Joe Biden not to "provide shelter" for the former leader in light of his supporters storming Brazil's democratic institutions in the capital Brasilia. This attack has been compared to the US Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.
Although Bolsonaro denounced the attack, experts say his repeated and baseless claims of election fraud leading up to October's election fueled anger among his supporters. Prior to the violence on January 8, Bolsonaro's supporters had camped out in the capital for months, and security outside the congressional building had been fortified due to their presence.
On January 13, Brazil's Supreme Court accepted a request from the public prosecutor's office to investigate Bolsonaro's alleged involvement in the January 8 attacks in Brasilia.
CNN has attempted to contact AG Immigration for comment. Photo by Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom/Agência Brasil., Wikimedia commons.