Help me, help me not…

Without ever providing reliable evidence, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had a slogan they used whenever they were asked about the possibility of their leader “returning to power,” despite losing the 2022 elections.

“Tick, tock,” they would say, as if to say that at any moment, somehow, Mr. Bolsonaro would rise from the ashes and reclaim the presidency that had been “stolen” from him by the left in a very elaborate plot (of which there is no proof).

Now the tables have turned.

This week, groups against the former president are the ones who are sarcastically saying “tick, tock,” suggesting the far-right leader could be on the verge of being arrested at any moment.

Even Jair seems to know that the clock is ticking.

Earlier this week, a New York Times story contained security camera footage showing Mr. Bolsonaro inside the Hungarian embassy in Brasília, where he spent two nights in what the newspaper called an “apparent bid for asylum.”

This more than suspicious event happened during Carnival, and just days after Mr. Bolsonaro had surrendered his passport to the Federal Police.

With public opinion aware of the risks of Mr. Bolsonaro seeking protection in Hungary, that option probably went down the drain.

Meanwhile, the list of options with countries governed by his conservative allies (and to which Mr. Bolsonaro could turn for a little help…) is getting smaller and smaller.

Tick, tock?

Check out the creation of this cartoon on The Brazilian Report’s TikTok account (@brazilianreport).

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