Bolsonaro declares himself Brazil's leader, urges supporters to fight for democracy

Flávio Bolsonaro, after losing Brazil's presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and arriving in the United States, declared himself "leader of Brazil" in a letter, urging supporters to continue the "fight for democracy" while repeating unproven fraud claims. The senator from the Liberal Party initially posted a version calling himself "the true president of Brazil" before correcting it to "leader." He thanked Argentina's Javier Milei and Donald Trump for support, rejected the election results where Lula won 51.79% to his 48.21%, and cited a court decision extending voting hours as evidence of fraud, though no proof was provided. Bolsonaro faces investigations in Brazil over alleged illegal betting and money laundering, and was ordered to surrender his passport. He compared himself to historical opposition figures, called for peaceful mobilization against Lula's government, and referenced the January 2023 Brasilia riots that led to his father Jair Bolsonaro's conviction for attempted coup.