NEW YORK, February 15. /TASS/. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who narrowly lost to socialist Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in the presidential election runoff, admitted in a Wall Street Journal interview that the election was not rigged.

"Losing is part of the electoral process," he said. "I’m not saying there was fraud, but the process was biased."

The former president denied any involvement in post-election protests in his country. "I wasn’t even there, and they want to pin it on me!" he said.

Bolsonaro, who is now in the United States, said he would return to his home country in March. He also said he was undecided on whether he should run for presidency once again. The next presidential election in Brazil is due in 2026.

Socialist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in a runoff presidential election, took office as the president of Brazil on January 1. The gap between the two was about 2 million votes. The ex-leader did not concede defeat, and Bolsonaro supporters flooded the streets and garrisons of the armed forces, seeking to prevent Lula da Silva from taking office. The former Brazilian president left for the United States in late December 2022.

On January 5, supporters of Bolsonaro clashed with police and forced their way into the National Congress (parliament), the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. A small number of guards at the empty administrative buildings over the weekend were unable to fight off the protesters, who vehemently contested the results of the October presidential election. According to preliminary data, about 5,000 people took part in the unrest. Law enforcement agents hurled smoke bombs and tear gas grenades from helicopters to disperse the protesters.