The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to summon the Hungarian ambassador to Brazil, Miklós Halmai, to provide explanations about Jair Bolsonaro's (PL) stay at the European country's diplomatic mission days after the Federal Police seized the former president's passport. In diplomatic relations, summoning the head of a mission to provide explanations at the headquarters of the foreign ministry is a demonstration of the host country's dissatisfaction.
The reprimand to the Hungarian was delivered by the Secretary for Europe and North America of the Itamaraty, Ambassador Maria Luisa Escorel de Moraes. Halmai remained at Itamaraty for about 20 minutes. According to sources, he listened to the complaints of the Brazilian diplomat and did not comment. According to aides of Lula (PT), the government received with dismay the news revealed by The New York Times.
The assessment is that the Hungarian ambassador did not receive just a political opponent of the current administration but a person under investigation by the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The gesture, say these aides, has been interpreted as an interference by the Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orbán, in Brazil's internal affairs.
The Federal Police will investigate Bolsonaro's presence at the Hungarian embassy. According to investigators, it is too early to say if there was an attempt to flee, but it is necessary to investigate the veracity and motivation for the former president to have stayed at the embassy. The American newspaper says that cameras show Bolsonaro was accompanied by two security guards. He reportedly stayed in the building from February 12 to February 14.