Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has officially asked the US State Department to grant him a tourist visa that would allow him to remain in the United States for up to six months as officials in the country he once led investigate a coup attempt by his supporters.
Mr Bolsonaro, a right-wing general turned politician, came to the US in December, just days before his successor, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was sworn into office. In an echo of former president Donald Trump’s refusal to accept his loss to Joe Biden, the ex-army officer never conceded defeat to Mr da Silva. After suggesting his loss was the result of widespread fraud — but offering no evidence to support the claims — the defeated soon-to-be ex-president decamped for Florida on 30 December, taking one last trip on the modified Airbus A319 known by callsign Brazilian Air Force 01 when the sitting head of state is aboard.
