Brazilian police are currently investigating the stay of former president Jair Bolsonaro at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia for two nights last month. This came after his passport was confiscated in connection with an investigation into an alleged plot to stage a military coup. The investigation was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following Bolsonaro’s defeat by leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October 2022.
According to reports, Bolsonaro’s stay at the Hungarian embassy between February 12 and 14 was first revealed by the New York Times based on security camera footage. The police had seized Bolsonaro’s passport on February 8 and accused him of various charges related to the coup plot. Moraes instructed Bolsonaro to explain the purpose of his stay at the embassy to the Supreme Court by a certain deadline. Bolsonaro’s lawyer claimed that he was there to maintain contact with officials of a friendly country and receive updates on the political horizon of the two nations.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a nationalist and political ally of Bolsonaro, has been in power for over 14 years. The Hungarian embassy in Brasilia did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. Despite facing legal challenges and possible criminal charges, Bolsonaro remains active in political circles both domestically and internationally, maintaining close relations with Orban even after leaving office, calling him his “brother” during a visit to Budapest in 2022.
