Bolsonaro spent two days at the Hungarian embassy after being left without a passport | Jair Bolsonaro

Four days after having his passport confiscated by the Federal Police (PF), former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro went to the Hungarian embassy in Brasília, where he stayed for two nights. Brazilian authorities are investigating whether the visit constituted an escape attempt and have given the former head of state 48 hours to explain himself.

On February 8, the PF carried out a major operation that included searches of Bolsonaro’s residence and ordered him to hand over his passport. The searches were part of investigations into an alleged coup attempt that police authorities believe came from the former President’s closest circle. Bolsonaro denies all suspicions and says he is a victim of political persecution.

The North American newspaper New York Times (NYT) published on Monday images captured by the Hungarian embassy’s video surveillance cameras showing Bolsonaro’s arrival at the end of February 12th. The images show the former President being received by ambassador Miklós Halmai, who appears to be taking him on a guided tour of the facilities.

Accompanied by two security guards, Bolsonaro is staying in a wing of the embassy with rooms and it is possible to see in the videos employees carrying sheets, pillows and water.

Hours before entering the embassy, ​​Bolsonaro published a video on social media in which he reaffirmed his innocence and called on his supporters to gather on February 25th on Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo.

There are not many images of the two days that Bolsonaro spent at the Hungarian embassy, ​​but it was only in the late afternoon of the 14th that the former President was seen getting into a car to leave the building. As it is an embassy, ​​Brazilian police authorities do not have the authority to carry out measures, such as detaining Bolsonaro.

The period in which the former head of state remained at the embassy coincided with the main week of Carnival and, therefore, most officials and diplomats were on vacation. But, according to an official quoted on condition of anonymity by NYTon the 14th it was sent to the entire staff from the embassy one email with instructions for them to work from home for the rest of the week without any justification being given.

The closeness between Bolsonaro and the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, is known. One of the few visits that Bolsonaro made to Europe as President was to Hungary and, in December, the two had been together during the inauguration ceremony of Argentine President, Javier Milei.

In statements to the newspaper Metropolises, Bolsonaro admitted to having visited the Hungarian embassy, ​​but did not clarify why he stayed there for two days. “I’m not going to deny that I was at the embassy, ​​yes. I’m not going to say where else I was”, said the former President, after the NYT published the video surveillance images. “I maintain a circle of friends with some heads of state around the world. They are concerned.”

Bolsonaro’s lawyers said that the former President “spoke with numerous authorities from the friendly country updating the political scenarios of the two nations” and denied that there was any attempt to seek political asylum. “Any other interpretations that go beyond the information provided here constitute an evident fictional work, unrelated to the reality of the facts, and are, in practice, another list of fake news“, the lawyers say in a statement.

Bolsonaro is the target of several investigations and the PF recently recommended that he be formally charged by the Public Ministry with crimes related to the alleged falsification of vaccination certificates against Covid-19. If Brazilian justice considers that there is a danger of escape, Bolsonaro could be arrested preventively.

Federal Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, responsible for the investigations in which Bolsonaro is involved, gave the former head of state 48 hours to explain the visit to the Hungarian embassy.