Supporters of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro react in front of the the Army Headquarters during a protest in Brasilia, Brazil, December 29, 2022. (REUTERS/Adriano Machado)
Brasília: Brazil's outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro, who has not acknowledged his electoral defeat, bid followers a tearful farewell on Friday without stating whether he would attend Sunday's inauguration of victor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
In a live broadcast on social media, the far-right Bolsonaro assured supporters that "we will not see the world end on January 1" when leftist Lula takes office.
"We have a great future ahead," he declared, adding: "Battles are lost, but we will not lose the war."
It was Bolsonaro's first live address since his narrow October defeat, after which the active social media user fell uncharacteristically silent.
Grab taken from a handout video released by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on his YouTube account on November 2, 2022, where he assured supporters that "we will not see the world end on January 1" when leftist Lula takes office, in Brasilia, on December 30, 2022. (AFP)
Lula had won the election with 50.9 percent of the vote to Bolsonaro's 49.1 percent.
Lula is to receive the presidential sash in an elaborate ceremony in Brasilia on Sunday. Normally it would be bestowed by the outgoing president.
Bolsonaro has plans to travel to the United States after his term ends, but has not clarified when he will leave nor whether he will be present at Sunday's inauguration.
The presidency has authorized a delegation to travel with Bolsonaro to Miami from January 1 to 30 to provide "security and personal support to the future former president of the Republic," according to Friday's government gazette.
Addressing hundreds of followers who continue to protest outside military installations in Brasilia and other cities demanding the army intervenes to stop Lula's ascension, Bolsonaro said he had given his best.
"I never expected to get here," he added, in tears.
"At least, we delayed by four years Brazil's collapse into this nefarious ideology, which is the left... Say the best of me," said Bolsonaro, who according to a majority of analysts leaves behind a poor record that includes environmental destruction and Covid-19 chaos.
Outside the official presidential residence in Brasilia, AFP witnessed two people following Bolsonaro's remarks live on a cellphone insult him as a "coward" and "shameless."
The president spoke for the first time about a failed bomb attack in Brasilia a week ago by a man who said he was a Bolsonaro supporter seeking to sow "chaos" ahead of the inauguration and "prevent the establishment of communism in Brazil" under Lula.
"Nothing justifies this attempt at terrorism," Bolsonaro said.
The failed attempt with explosives placed in a fuel truck, as well as acts of vandalism carried out by other Bolsonaro fans this month, prompted the authorities to deploy an unprecedented security contingent for Sunday's swearing in.
