The key facts

  • Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly arrived in the US on Tuesday, despite a court-imposed travel ban
  • The US State Department confirmed issuing visas to Bolsonaro and his family
  • There are no official records of his departure from Brazil; a version of an exit through Argentina is being considered, which Argentine authorities deny

The senator who lost the election has reportedly arrived in the United States

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost the second round of the presidential election on Sunday, October 25, to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, left Brazil on Tuesday and, according to media reports, arrived in the United States. This was reported by Folha de S.Paulo and Reuters citing sources close to the senator; CNN and The Washington Post, citing an anonymous source, wrote about his arrival in the US, but the departure point remains unknown. According to CNN Brasil, he flew out together with his wife and two daughters.

Visas from the State Department and a meeting in Miami

The US State Department confirmedthat it would issue visas to Bolsonaro and members of his family and allow them to enter the country, while not confirming his travel plans. According to the newspaper O Globo , citing family supporters, Bolsonaro arrived in Miami, where he was met by his brother Eduardo, who lives in Texas and is said to have helped coordinate the departure with US authorities. Eduardo Bolsonaro said on a podcast last week that his brother should leave Brazil if he lost the election.

How the senator could have left the country: conflicting accounts

The departure took place despite an order by Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who on Monday ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports within 24 hours. When the deadline expired, the federal police annulled his regular and diplomatic passports. A police source told AFP that 'there is no official record of Flávio Bolsonaro leaving the country.' AFP also notes, citing an Italian parliamentary document, that the senator has held Italian citizenship since 2023.

The version of an exit through Argentina

The Argentine outlet Infobae suggested that the senator crossed the border using a domestic ID card and intended to fly to Miami on a private Gulfstream G400 (LV-JQW) aircraft belonging to the company Baires Fly from the city of Puerto Iguazú. However, the plane never took off: according to some reports, aviation authorities delayed the departure clearance over regulatory issues; according to others, the passengers never arrived. Argentina's Migration Directorate stated that it has no record of Bolsonaro entering the country, and Brazil's federal police began checking border crossings and flights to establish how he could have left.

Reactions and investigations against the senator

On Tuesday, Lula called his rival's departure 'shameful': 'A citizen who secretly leaves his country does so because he has something to hide.' Bolsonaro's campaign coordinator, Senator Rogério Marinho, first denied the departure and then said he had received a message from him in the morning saying he needed time, after which contact was lost. Bolsonaro himself said in a video on Instagram on Monday that he 'never thought of leaving the country,' and called the court order an attempt to intimidate him.

What the senator is accused of and what is happening with the election

Two investigations are underway against Bolsonaro: one into suspected money laundering and evasion of currency controls through transactions linked to the lawyer Weller Tomaz, and another into the financing of a biographical film about his father, 'Dark Horse' — according to the investigation, the money came from Daniel Vorcaro, the former owner of the bankrupt Banco Master. The senator denies wrongdoing in both cases. After his defeat, he initially demanded that the election results be annulled, citing an extension of voting hours, but on Tuesday his Liberal Party recognized Lula's victory, with 51.8% of the vote. Separately, the Supreme Court ordered an inquiry into possible foreign financing of Bolsonaro's campaign and other external interference, including 'manipulation' on social media: Lula's campaign complained about Meta, which denies acting in anyone's favor. In February 2027, with the end of his Senate term, Bolsonaro will lose his immunity from criminal prosecution.