Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, allegedly tried to smuggle 3m euros of jewelery into Brazil. The accusation, first quoted by the Brazilian newspaper ‘O Estado de Sao Paulo’, refers to an event that will take place in October 2021 and that the jewels will be donated to him and his wife Michelle by Saudi Arabia. Bolsonaro denied any “illegal acts” after the news broke, while the government of his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, promised to investigate the matter.
In an interview with CNN Brasil, Bolsonaro said that “rumored to be, the $3.2 million jewelery set will consist of diamond necklaces, rings, watches and earrings.” “There is no illegality on my part. I have never committed any illegal acts,” he assured. Justice Minister Flavio Dino said he would demand an investigation by the federal police, while Paulo Pimenta, spokesman for the left-wing Brazilian president, stressed that he would not go unpunished. “The evidence is solid and the truth will come out,” Pimenta said in a social media post.
According to O Estado de S. Paulo, customs officials allegedly found them in the backpack of then-Minister of Mines and Energy Bento Albuquerque, who returned from an official trip to the Middle East in October 2021. Guarulhos airport in Sao Paulo confiscated the jewels as citizens were required to declare any goods worth more than a thousand dollars when entering Brazil, adding that the Bolsonaro administration tried to reclaim the gift through government officials several times but failed, the newspaper reported.
The former president is in the United States after flying to Florida in late December, 48 hours before Lula’s inauguration. When asked at home after the election about his possible involvement in the attack on institutions in Brasilia in January, he told NBC that he plans to return to Brazil this month. The former head of state has already stated that he wants to return to his hometown to lead the political opposition. In an interview with NBC, he reiterated that he does not see himself as a loser in the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, and that he has more significant support than in 2018, when he was elected president last year.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
