Lula marks 81st birthday amid election victory and dispute over Flavio Bolsonaro's fate

Celebration after victory

Brazilian President Lula celebrated his 81st birthday shortly after winning the election, euronews reports. Standing behind a festive cake, he blew out the candles, embraced supporters and addressed the crowd from a mobile sound platform; alongside the Brazilian flags, red banners of the Workers' Party fluttered, and the crowd sang and cheered the president. Acknowledging that he had not yet recovered from the grueling election campaign, Lula told supporters that he needed to rest his voice.

Accusations against the defeated rival

Despite his fatigue, the president lashed out at his defeated rival Flavio Bolsonaro, who, according to reports, left Brazil shortly after losing the runoff on Sunday. Lula said he did not know Bolsonaro's exact whereabouts, but wondered what sense of guilt could drive a person to leave the country immediately after losing an election. He also accused the Bolsonaro family of excessive loyalty to the United States. According to euronews, a senior US State Department official said that Washington is ready to issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family, although it remains unclear whether they have already left Brazil.

Bolsonaro's legal situation

Flavio Bolsonaro has refused to accept the election results and makes uncorroborated allegations of fraud. He is under investigation for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. A Supreme Court order required him to surrender his passports by noon on Tuesday, but it is unknown whether he complied. His father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election. Key open questions at the time of publication: Flavio Bolsonaro's exact whereabouts and whether he surrendered his passports on time.