Speaking from the balcony of the Brazilian ambassador’s 19th-century home in Mayfair on Sunday, the South American populist expressed “deep respect” for the UK’s royal family and citizens and claimed that honoring Queen Elizabeth II was the “main objective”. of his visit to London. . But Bolsonaro – who looks set to lose next month’s presidential election in Brazil – immediately went on the campaign trail, despite the moment of mourning. “We are on the right track,” Brazil’s president told hundreds of yellow supporters gathered outside the building – less than two miles from Westminster Hall where the Queen was in state. “We are a country that does not want to discuss the legalization of drugs, that does not want to discuss the legalization of abortion and a country that does not accept gender ideology,” Bolsonaro continued. “Our motto is: God, country, family and freedom.” Bolsonaro’s politically charged comments delighted hardline supporters who had come to hear him in central London, but sparked outrage in the UK and Brazil. “It’s a funeral, man,” tweeted Vera Magalhães, a prominent Brazilian journalist who was recently verbally attacked by Bolsonaro during a televised presidential debate. “Bolsonaro turned the Queen’s funeral into a campaign soapbox,” complained Joyce Hasselman, a right-wing politician and former Bolsonaro ally. Protesters gather outside the ambassador’s residence in Mayfair Paulo Abrāo, a human rights expert and law professor, condemned Bolsonaro’s “insensitive” intervention at a time of national mourning. “Another international disgrace,” he wrote. “Personally, I feel he is not welcome on British soil… [and] he is not welcome at the Queen’s funeral,” said Claire Hadford, a documentary maker who was a close friend of Phillips. Dom Phillips’ niece, Domonique Davies, was also at the anti-Bolsonaro demo, organized by a group called Brazil Matters, where protesters held banners denouncing the Brazilian president. The small group had to be protected by police as Bolsonaro supporters harassed them. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Brazilian media reports claimed that Bolsonaro’s team saw the Queen’s funeral as a golden opportunity to boost his re-election campaign with his flag, conniving with world leaders who have largely shunned him since he took power in 2019. “Sources close to the president say [the decision to attend] influenced by the opportunity to record material for his election campaign propaganda,” the conservative Estado de São Paulo reported last week. A presidential aide told Brazil’s O Globo newspaper that Bolsonaro saw the funeral as an opportunity to outdo his leftist rival, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is leading the race to become Brazil’s next leader. In his balcony speech, Bolsonaro claimed he was well on his way to victory on October 2. “There’s no way we won’t win in the first round,” he said to loud cheers and wolf whistles. However, polls show that Lula – who boasts a lead of between 12 and 15 points – will prevail when 156 million Brazilians vote. Sensacionalista, a satirical Brazilian Twitter account, tweeted: “Bolsonaro goes to London for the funeral of his own candidacy.” Criticism of Bolsonaro’s statement – in which he spoke for about 13 seconds about the queen and almost two minutes about his campaign agenda – appeared to strike a nerve with the president’s team. “Sad you forgot that President Bolsonaro opened his speech to the incredulous audience that was waiting for him – this should have made the news in any serious newspaper – talking precisely about the death of Queen Elizabeth II,” his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro. he tweeted to the Guardian. “Bury yourselves alone, without credibility.”
