Flavio Bolsonaro leaves Brazil for US after losing presidential election
The senator departed despite a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports, and the State Department is issuing entry visas for him and his family.
By Alexander Parker ·
Flavio Bolsonaro lost 60 million votes in Sunday's presidential election before departing Brazil for the United States on Tuesday. Three sources confirmed the senator left the country after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports. The US State Department is set to grant entry visas to Bolsonaro and his family.
A senior State Department official confirmed the plan in a statement, saying the department would issue the visas to allow entry. Bolsonaro, who has not yet conceded to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, faces a money laundering probe in which he denies wrongdoing. The Supreme Court cited the risk of him fleeing and his substantial financial resources when ordering the seizure of his documents.
The timing of the exit remains unclear. On Monday, Bolsonaro was given 24 hours to hand over his passports. Two sources said the documents were canceled after the deadline passed. He told reporters on Monday that he had no plans to leave, calling the legal move a clear attempt to intimidate him. A senior Federal Police official said he did not use a regular border crossing.
One source close to the family indicated that Bolsonaro landed in Florida but did not specify the exact location. His wife and two daughters accompanied him. The move threatens to widen the diplomatic gap between Brazil and the United States. President Lula accused Washington of working with the Bolsonaro family to restore them to power.
President Donald Trump did not mention the departure in comments to the press on Monday. He described the Brazilian vote as looking like another rigged election. In 2022, former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio's father, also traveled to the US after losing to Lula. The elder Bolsonaro was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.
Senator Rogerio Marinho, the campaign manager, expressed surprise at the exit. He noted that Bolsonaro had received 60 million votes and should have assumed the role of opposition leader. Bolsonaro's Liberal Party acknowledged Lula's victory on Monday, even as Bolsonaro continues to seek annulment of the result based on alleged voter irregularities.
Bolsonaro loses his immunity from prosecution when his Senate term ends in February. His younger brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the US, supported the move ahead of the vote. Eduardo told podcaster Steven Crowder that he favored his brother leaving the country if he did not win.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
