Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro used his Facebook account to share a video of voter fraud conspiracies that echod the main complaints of rioters who ransacked government buildings in Brasilia on Sunday. The video was deleted hours later.
(Bloomberg) — Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro used his Facebook account to share a video of voter fraud conspiracies that echod the main complaints of rioters who ransacked government buildings in Brasilia on Sunday. The video was deleted hours later.
Bolsonaro’s post, made Tuesday shortly after he was discharged from a US hospital, didn’t comment on the video’s claims. But the person speaking in the clip raised questions about the integrity of Brazil’s voting machines and alleged that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wasn’t legitimately elected.
Facebook added a tag to the post saying that electronic voting “is secure and auditable,” including a link to more information from Brazilian election authorities.
Brazil’s Oct. 30 election was certified by the country’s electoral authority and deemed clean by the international community, and Lula was sworn in on Jan. 1. Bolsonaro refused to attend Lula’s inauguration, traveling to Florida right before his term ended and remaining there since. One day after his supporters stormed Brasilia, he was hospitalized near Orlando with abdominal pain.
Read More: Bolsonaro’s Florida Stay Morphs Into Biden Quandary After Riot
For months before the election, Bolsonaro had repeated the same conspiracy theories to sow doubt about the voting process. His supporters have amplified those claims and, after his defeat to Lula, many took to the streets to call for a military intervention.
Facebook, whose parent company is known as Meta Platforms Inc., suspended the account of former US President Donald Trump for two years after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Meta spokespeople didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Bolsonaro’s post.
(Updates headline and lead to say video was deleted hours later.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.