Brazil's defeated presidential candidate says court barred him from leaving country

WASHINGTON: Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro said on Monday that the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender his passports and barred him from leaving the country following his loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday's run-off election, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

In a video posted on X, the senator said Federal Police officers had served him with the order after he visited his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest.

Bolsonaro said Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had issued the ruling on Sunday night, shortly after Lula was declared the winner.

A copy of the court order was not immediately available, and the legal grounds for the travel restriction remained unclear.

Bolsonaro said the decision was based on a statement made on Oct 23 by his brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, suggesting that he should leave Brazil if he lost the election.

"I never thought about leaving the country," Bolsonaro said, adding that he would comply with the passport surrender order while challenging the ruling.

He described the decision as an attempt to intimidate him and vowed to continue his political activities.

Bolsonaro also reiterated plans to seek the disqualification of Lula's winning ticket, alleging irregularities in Sunday's vote. — BERNAMA