Lula labels Flavio Bolsonaro’s reported departure from Brazil ‘shameful’

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that he had just heard Senator Flavio Bolsonaro had left Brazil, describing the reported departure as “shameful” after Sunday’s presidential election.

Lula, who defeated Flavio Bolsonaro in the October 25 vote, said his rival should have remained in the country and demonstrated his innocence rather than leave after the result.

The president’s remarks came two days after the election, keeping political attention focused on Bolsonaro’s response to defeat and the implications of his reported exit from Brazil.

Lula did not provide further details in the remarks cited about where Bolsonaro had gone or the circumstances of his departure.

The comments add to tensions following a divisive presidential contest, with Lula framing Bolsonaro’s absence as a matter of accountability in the aftermath of the vote.