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STORY: A crowd of chanting supporters welcomed Brazil’s far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro back to the country on Thursday, after he spent three months in the United States following his election loss.

But the turnout at the airport was considerably smaller than expected by police, prompting one Brazilian cabinet member to call Bolsonaro’s reception a "flop" that showed his weak leadership.

Bolsonaro never formally conceded defeat in last year's election against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – commonly known as Lula – and has vowed to lead the opposition to Lula's government.

The 68-year-old shook hands as he arrived at the headquarters of the Liberal Party in Brasilia and once there, spoke in a live webcast, saying that conservatives controlled Congress and that Lula's minority government would not be able to “do what it liked with the future of our country," adding: “It is with great pride that I return."

Late last year, the former leader left Brazil for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on Jan. 1. He said he needed rest, but critics say he was trying to avoid over a dozen legal investigations he may face in Brazil.

They include his alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm government buildings in Jan. 8 riots that recalled the 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Bolsonaro, who holds former U.S. President Donald Trump as his political idol, attended the Conservative Political Action Conference this month in Washington where he questioned the result of the October election narrowly won by Lula.

He said his mission in Brazil was "still not over."