The key facts

  • Rubio: “We didn’t organize anything” — the US denies any role in Bolsonaro’s departure
  • Trump approved entry: Bolsonaro held a valid visa and was admitted to the country
  • The departure occurred despite the Brazilian Supreme Court’s order to surrender passports

Washington denies involvement in the departure

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday dismissed reports that American authorities had helped Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, leave the country and travel to the United States. Speaking to journalists in Atlanta, he said the administration had played no part in arranging his departure: “We didn’t organize anything. We were not involved in any of the arrangements he made in connection with his departure,” the Anadolu agency quoted him as saying the Anadolu agency.

Entry approved by Trump

At the same time, Rubio confirmed that President Donald Trump had authorized Bolsonaro’s entry into the United States: the politician already held a valid visa. “The president made clear that if he arrived at a port of entry in the United States, he would be admitted into the country, and that is what happened,” the secretary of state said. Washington thus separates the organization of the departure from Brazil, in which it denies any involvement, from the decision to admit him to US territory, which it confirms.

Context: election defeat and investigations

The departure came after Bolsonaro lost the presidential runoff to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to Anadolu, he claimed the election was fraudulent without providing evidence and promised to lead the opposition from Florida. His departure from the country took place despite a demand by Brazil’s Supreme Court that he surrender his passports as part of investigations into alleged money laundering and financial schemes. The publication does not report the Brazilian authorities’ reaction to Rubio’s statement.