Bolsonaro, who loses his immunity from prosecution when his Senate term ends in February, said on Monday he had no plans to flee. "I have never thought about leaving the country," he said. "I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me." His departure appeared to have caught his campaign manager off guard. "We are surprised by the news because, just yesterday, we discussed the need for Flavio — given the 60 million votes he received - to take on this role as leader of the opposition," Senator Rogerio Marinho told reporters.