House Democrats call on Biden to revoke Bolsonaro’s diplomatic visa after Brazilian rioting

by Olafimihan Oshin - 01/12/23 11:15 AM ET

FILE – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attends a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 29, 2022. Bolsonaro said he would only leave the Brazilian presidency when he was dead, jailed or ready for his second term. But Bolsonaro’s Oct. 30 loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set off two months of relative silence for the self-styled standard-bearer of the Brazilian conservative movement. (AP Photo/Bruna Brado, File)

Dozens of House Democrats urged President Biden and his administration to revoke the diplomatic visa that former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is using to stay in the U.S. amid the recent riots in his country’s capital.

In a letter sent Thursday, the lawmakers expressed concern about Sunday’s riots in Brasilia, noting the similarities between them and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol, with Bolsonaro and his administration touting false stolen elections claims and misinformation after he lost his reelection bid to current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October.

Lawmakers said the U.S. “must not allow Mr. Bolsonaro or any other former Brazilian officials to take refuge in the United States to escape justice for any crimes they may have committed when in office” and must aid the Brazilian government’s investigation, should it request help.

The House Democrats said the U.S. must not provide refuge to Bolsonaro or any other authoritarian figure who has inspired violent attacks against democratic institutions.

“As we understand, since Mr. Bolsonaro entered the United States when he was still the President of Brazil, he may have done so on an A-1 visa that is reserved for individuals on diplomatic or official visits,” the letter reads. “As he is no longer the President of Brazil or currently serving as a Brazilian official, we request that you reassess his status in the country to ascertain whether there is a legal basis for his stay and revoke any such diplomatic visa he may hold.”

The letter was signed by 46 House Democrats, including Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and House Minority Leader Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), who is also the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed into Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace on Sunday — eight days after Lula’s inauguration — in protest of the results of the presidential election.

The protest struck similarities to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, where pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop lawmakers from certifying President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

Biden publicly condemned the protests, saying the U.S. will continue to work with Lula and his government in an effort to have the U.S. fully support the country’s democratic institutions.

The lawmakers also called the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to hold accountable any actors based in Florida who have financed or supported the Brazilian riots, asking the FBI to investigate if any actions were taking place on U.S. soil to organize the riot.

“We stand with the Brazilian people as they recover from this challenging time in their democratic history,” the lawmakers’ letter to Biden reads. “As members of the United States House of Representatives, we call upon you to work with us to support the newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva and the Brazilian people in seeking justice, upholding the rule of law, and protecting democratic institutions in their country.”