Travel

Ex-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Applies for U.S. Visa

FLORIDA MAN

“He would like to take some time off, clear his head, and enjoy being a tourist in the United States for a few months,” a representative said.

GettyImages-1437679818_lvjtdc
Bruna Prado/Getty Images

Jair Bolsonaro, the former right-wing president of Brazil, has filed an application for a six-month visa to remain in the United States. The request may or may not be related to the multiple investigations he currently faces back home, both in relation to his presidential term and the rocky months that followed his election defeat, which have included at least one attempted insurrection by his supporters. The U.S. received Bolsonaro’s application on Friday, according to his lawyer, Felipe Alexandre. “He would like to take some time off, clear his head, and enjoy being a tourist in the United States for a few months before deciding what his next step will be,” Alexandre said in an email to Reuters. Bolsonaro will remain in the United States while his request is pending. To the Financial Times, Alexandre added: “I think Florida will be his temporary home away from home. Right now, with his situation, I think he needs a little stability.” Bolsonaro, who was previously reported to have been crashing in an MMA fighter’s Orlando pad, had been using an A-1 visa that applies only to heads of state and diplomats. That visa is set to expire on Tuesday, 30 days after the end of his presidency.

Read it at Financial Times