Flavio Bolsonaro declares himself Brazil's 'true leader' after departing for the US

Departure to the US and claims of a 'stolen election'

Brazil's losing presidential candidate, right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, arrived in the United States on Wednesday to begin a voluntary emigration, declaring himself the country's legitimate leader. According to AFP, he landed on a private plane at Opa-Locka Executive Airport near Miami accompanied by his wife and daughters.

The wording shifted along the way

In a statement on his X account, Bolsonaro called himself the 'elected president' and accused 'criminals who stole Brazil's election' of creating a 'tyranny' and committing 'electoral fraud.' 'I will lead the opposition from here,' he said. In a follow-up statement, he changed the wording, calling himself the 'leader' rather than the 'president.' His departure followed the victory of left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday's runoff with 51.8% of the vote.

How he left the country

Bolsonaro is under investigation at home on suspicion of corruption and money laundering. As the end of his parliamentary immunity approached, he was ordered to surrender his passports, yet he still left the country, reaching the US via Argentina and Ecuador. A police source told AFP that the senator's Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been annulled, but according to Italian documents, he has also held Italian citizenship since 2023. The US Department of Homeland Security said members of the Bolsonaro family were vetted and admitted 'in accordance with applicable immigration laws and procedures.' The travel ban was imposed by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is leading the case against the politician's father — Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest after attempting to overturn his defeat in the 2022 election.

Reactions in Brazil and Argentina

President Donald Trump repeated his view that Brazil's election was 'very strange,' but told journalists he 'will not intervene' in Flavio Bolsonaro's claims to the presidency. Lula called his rival's departure a 'shameful' act: 'A man who leaves his country in secret must be hiding something,' he said in Brasilia on Tuesday while celebrating his 81st birthday. Meanwhile, Brazilian police said on Wednesday that they do not consider Bolsonaro a fugitive. In Argentina, opposition lawmakers demanded an explanation of how Bolsonaro was able to transit through the country; according to opposition deputy Agustin Rossi, authorities said he had valid travel documents, but officials asked Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli to provide details to parliament.

The investigation around the film 'Dark Horse'

The most high-profile case against Flavio Bolsonaro is linked to the unreleased biographical film 'Dark Horse,' in which his father Jair is played by American actor Jim Caviezel. In May, the outlet Intercept Brasil published audio recordings in which Bolsonaro arranges financing for the film of roughly $24 million with banker Daniel Vorcaro, who is imprisoned in one of the largest fraud cases in Brazil's history. Before the leak, Bolsonaro denied knowing Vorcaro and any financing. In July, the Supreme Court ordered an investigation into the film's funding, including for corruption, money laundering and illegal currency movement. Bolsonaro acknowledged that Vorcaro financed the film, but insisted it was a 'completely legal' private transaction. As part of another investigation, police are examining whether he laundered money and moved funds out of the country together with a close friend, lawyer Viller Tomas. Jair Bolsonaro himself, after Lula's victory in 2022, also refused to accept the result and left the country on the eve of his rival's inauguration, returning to Brazil three months later.