He disembarked from the gray jumbo jet to the excited but subdued cheers of several airport employees in neon vests. At least one fellow passenger bemusedly approached him for a selfie.
Nearly three months after fleeing Mozambique, saying he feared for his life, opposition leader Venancio Mondlane made a spectacular return Thursday to claim what he insists is rightfully his: the presidency.
A new president from the long-ruling Frelimo party will be sworn in on Wednesday in Mozambique. Daniel Chapo of Frelimo won the October elections with 65 percent of the vote, according to the country's highest court. According to the official count, Mr. Mondlane won only 24 percent of the vote.
After several independent election monitors found irregularities in the vote, Mr. Mondlane spent months arguing that the race was rigged and called on his supporters to take to the streets. Some protests turned violent, with at least 250 people killed in a police response that rights groups called unnecessarily brutal.
Mr Mondley's return comes at a delicate time for this mineral and gas-rich country of 33 million. The government is struggling to solve housing and debt crises and quell a years-long insurgency backed by the Islamic State. Regional leaders such as South Africa have sent envoys to mediate a political impasse that has hampered trade and threatened further economic damage.
However, the outspoken opposition candidate refused to back down. “I, Venancio Mondlane, president elected by the people of Mozambique,” he said, raising his right hand to news cameras outside the capital's Maputo airport, “to serve Mozambique and Mozambicans.”
About a quarter of a mile away, thousands of his supporters gathered at police barricades, chanting, “The President is here! The president has arrived!” under constant drizzle. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Incumbent Filipe Nyusi convened the leaders of the main opposition parties on Thursday to discuss solutions – an exercise that some said lacked credibility because Mr Mondlain was not present. After the meeting, Mr Chapo said the parties had agreed to consider changes to the electoral law and constitution “to suit the interests of Mozambicans”.
Mr. Mondlain, 50, may appear to some as an election-denying and populist rabble-rouser. But to his supporters, he is a singular figure at a singular moment. Voters in southern Africa, led by restless young populations, have sharply rebuked former liberation parties at the polls over the past year.
Corruption, unemployment, inequality and poor living conditions have fueled widespread anger at seemingly out-of-touch political leaders in Mozambique and the region. Mr. Mondlin used this wave of discontent to deliver a simple message: He will return the country to the people.
As cheering crowds gathered for Mr Mondley's motorcade in Maputo on Thursday, police responded with little provocation, tear gas and bullets, leaving at least one person bleeding to death on the pavement, witnesses said. A police spokesman declined to comment on any deaths, saying they were still gathering information.
“What people don't want in Mozambique is Frelimo,” said Francisco Victor Chimene, a 25-year-old driver, standing near an open-air market where Mr. Mondlay had earlier addressed his supporters. “What we want is change. We see that Venancio will change this country.”
Trained in agronomy, Mr. Mondley has a varied resume. He has worked as a banker, a Pentecostal pastor and a television pundit. His political breakthrough came in 2013 when he unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Maputo. He lost again in the mayoral race two years ago, but the result sparked serious controversy with civil society organizations claiming it was a massive fraud. The court ordered a recount of votes in a large district due to violations of the law.
Mr Mondlain ran for president last year with the support of a smaller party, Podemos, after losing the leadership race to Renamo, Mozambique's main opposition party. His meteoric rise as a candidate has attracted global attention, winning him support among right-wing populist figures abroad, even as young, left-leaning voters rally behind him at home.
In the video was published on the social network During the campaign last year, Mr. Mondlane thanked former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was accused of attempting a coup, and called him “a man of God.”
Jonatas Feitosa, a priest of a conservative evangelical church in Brazil and a friend of Mr. Mondlane, said Mr. Mondlane sees Mr. Bolsonaro as a “pioneer man.” Mr. Bolsonaro considered himself the antidote to the leftist party that has dominated Brazilian politics for more than a decade.
With communist roots, Frelimo has ruled Mozambique since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. But since then, the party has lost the trust of many Mozambicans due to widespread corruption. The government's violent response to the demonstrations after the election was seen by many as an indication of Frelimo's desperate bid to seize power.
During the presidential campaign, Mr. Mondlane visited Portugal, where he met with the country's president, André Ventura. Chega, a far-right nationalist party supports tougher immigration measures and fights against repatriation for former colonies. But Chega, like Mr. Mondlin, has established himself as a champion of the working class.
Mr. Ventura said in an email that his party hoped to build a common political platform with Mr. Mondlane focused on “fighting corruption and crime, protecting the family and law and order, and addressing the breakdown of justice and other institutions.”
Mr. Mondlane has not publicly disclosed his ties to right-wing figures abroad. Benjamin Francisco Malate, a 38-year-old businessman, says those connections matter little in a country where most voters struggle to find their next meal or a stable home to live in.
“The reason we support Venancio is not because he is left-wing or right-wing,” Mr Malate said. “We're just supporting the solutions he's providing.”
Some of his proposals include policies that require significant government intervention, such as building three million houses over five years and funding businesses for youth and women.
Standing atop a car surrounded by thousands of people in Maputo on Thursday, Mr Mondlain said the country would have two presidents if the government went ahead with the inauguration next Wednesday. “Who runs this country?” Mr. Mondlain shouted into the loudspeaker.
The crowd replied: “These are the people.”
Ana Ionova Reported by Tiago Carrasco from Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon.