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Flavio Bolsonaro declares himself "elected president of Brazil" and then retracts

He sent a message in X proclaiming himself president, then deleted it and sent another calling himself "Brazilian leader." Trump did not share that claim.

(Foto de ARCHIVO)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 25, 2026 -- Flavio Bolsonaro (C), presidential candidate of Brazil's Liberal Party, prepares to cast his ballot at a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 25, 2026. Voting in the second round of Brazil's 2026 presidential election officially began at 8 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) on Sunday, with polling stations across the nation set to close at 5 p.m. local time (2000 GMT).
Incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the ruling Workers' Party faces Flavio Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party candidate and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, in the runoff after the two topped the first-round vote.

Jin Haoyuan / Xinhua News / Europa Press

25/10/2026 ONLY FOR USE IN SPAIN — Bolsonaro in the election. Photo: EFE

EITB

2026/10/29 - 07:55

Updated

2026/10/29 - 07:55

A few hours after landing in the US, ultra-right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has declared himself "the true elected president of Brazil."

Former President Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son has written two letters on social network X in30 minutes, the first of which he has presented himself as President-elect, and after deleting it he has written that he is "the leader of Brazil," while denouncing "fraud" in the second round of the election without any evidence.

The current president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was re-elected president with 52% of the vote, above 48% of the former Liberal Party (PL) candidate, or four million more votes.

Flavio has not accepted his defeat. On Sunday evening, he called for the "annulment" of the election; on Monday, he lowered the tone and advanced that he would denounce Lula's candidacy to the courts for alleged abuses of power; and on Tuesday, he fled Brazil after justice requested his passport for an investigation opened for him on charges of money laundering.

This Wednesday, he landed in Miami, Florida, U.S., with his wife, Fernanda Bolsonaro, and his two daughters, after receiving approval from Donald Trump's administration.

Flavio published both versions of his letter in the US.

U.S. President Donald Trump has not supported Flavio Bolsonaro's claims, but has denounced the former candidate's "unfair" treatment.