KISSIMMEE — A resort community near Disney World has turned into a rallying spot for supporters of former right-wing Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, a politician dubbed the “Trump of the tropics” who broke tradition by leaving for Florida and skipping his successor’s inauguration.
More than 50 well-wishers, some draped in Brazilian flags and Bolsonaro garb, gathered Tuesday outside a vacation home where Bolsonaro is staying about five miles south of Disney in Osceola County.
Antonio Pereira, 57, of Coconut Creek, drove from South Florida for a chance to meet Bolsonaro. He wore a “Make Brazil Great Again” shirt and praised Bolsonaro’s leadership style.
“He is the best president ever in Brazil,” Pereira said, likening Bolsonaro to former U.S. President Donald Trump. “This guy is a tough guy. He’s a captain. He’s a leader.”
Bolsonaro, 67, emerged Tuesday from the home about 2 p.m. to cheers. A fan gave him a USA soccer shirt, which he put on to shouts of “USA!”
The Brazilian leader then spent about 30 minutes posing for photos and signing autographs. A reporter on the scene was unable to interview him.
He is reportedly staying at the vacation home of Jose Aldo, a retired UFC fighter. Aldo’s publicist did not return a message Tuesday from the Orlando Sentinel seeking confirmation.
Bolsonaro plans to stay in Florida for one to three months to see if the new administration will pursue investigations against him, a close family friend told The New York Times.
The Times reported that Bolsonaro faces five probes, including the release of classified documents, attacks on Brazil’s voting machines and potential connections to “digital militias” that spread misinformation on his behalf.
He arrived in Florida from Brazil on Friday night, according to flight tracking data. Upon his arrival in the Sunshine State, he met his neighbors and ate at a KFC restaurant. A picture of him dining at KFC quickly went viral on social media.
Bolsonaro’s successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist leader, was sworn in on Sunday. Bolsonaro’s absence broke with tradition, which calls for passing the presidential sash on inauguration day as a symbol of the peaceful transfer of power.
Lula defeated Bolsonaro in the Oct. 30 vote by less than 2 percentage points. Since then, the country has been in turmoil with Bolsonaro refusing to concede unequivocally in October and questioning the results. His supporters have camped outside military buildings in Brazil, asking for the armed forces to intervene.
Bolsonaro addressed his supporters on social media hours before his departure, condemning a recent bomb threat and saying the focus should be on building opposition to the future government, not attacking people
“We lost a battle, but we will not lose the war,” he said. “The world does not end on Jan. 1.”
In Florida on Tuesday, people waited hours outside the vacation home to catch a glimpse of the leader. Several echoed Trump, saying they thought the election was “stolen.” The crowd included Brazilian Americans living in Florida or visiting from other states.
One family from Brazil interrupted their Disney vacation to meet the former president.
Helinton Silva, 46, was visiting from Boston and presented the USA soccer shirt to Bolsonaro.
“There have been a lot of people here,” he said. “Every day. All day. He’s a good guy.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
sswisher@orlandosentinel.com
