Flávio Bolsonaro claims Brazil election fraud, declares himself ‘true president-elect’

File photo: Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has declared himself the country’s “true president-elect”, alleged electoral fraud in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election and vowed to lead Brazil’s opposition from the United States, where he has arrived with his family after leaving the country.In a lengthy statement addressed to Brazilians and the international community on Wednesday, Flávio rejected the description of his departure as a flight from Brazil, saying he had left to escape what he described as political persecution and an increasingly authoritarian political system. He also thanked US president Donald Trump and Argentine president Javier Milei for their support, portraying the United States as a place where his family could find the legal security he claimed was no longer available at home.“I want to make this clear: I did not flee Brazil; I left for Brazil’s sake” – he wrote, arguing that remaining in the country would have prevented him from exercising political leadership.Flávio alleged that the October 25 presidential election was marred by fraud, claiming that Lula gained more than 10 million votes between the first ...