Flavio Bolsonaro Departs for US After Refusing to Surrender Passports

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro left the country for the United States on Tuesday, three sources confirmed. He departed after losing Sunday's presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. A senior US State Department official stated that the department will grant visas to Bolsonaro and his family, allowing their entry into the US.

Three key details emerged from the rapid departure. First, Bolsonaro ignored a Supreme Court order to hand over his passports. The order was part of a money laundering investigation in which he denies wrongdoing. Second, his specific location remains unclear. One source close to the family said he landed in Florida but did not specify where. His wife and two daughters were also missing from Brazil.

Third, the move contradicted his earlier public statements. On Monday, Bolsonaro said he had no plans to leave. "I have never thought about leaving the country," he said. "I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me." However, he was given only 24 hours to surrender the documents on Monday. Two sources said the passports were canceled once that deadline passed.

The departure has strained relations between the two largest economies in the Americas. President Lula called the move shameful while speaking in Brasilia. He argued that Bolsonaro should have stayed in Brazil to prove his innocence. Lula accused Washington of working with the Bolsonaro family to return them to power. Reuters reported before the vote that the State Department was campaigning to restore the family to office.

President Trump did not mention the departure when speaking to the press on Monday. He described the Brazilian vote as looking like another rigged election. Trump has previously claimed that Flavio's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was a victim of judicial persecution. Jair Bolsonaro also traveled to the US in 2022 after refusing to concede to Lula. He later returned and was sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup.

Flavio Bolsonaro was initially favored to win but lost in a surprise result. He received 60 million votes. His campaign manager, Senator Rogerio Marinho, said the team discussed just a day earlier that Bolsonaro should take on the role of opposition leader. Bolsonaro said on Sunday he would seek to annul the result over alleged voter irregularities. His Liberal Party acknowledged Lula's victory on Monday. A senior Federal Police official said Bolsonaro did not use any regular border crossing. His immunity from prosecution ends when his Senate term expires in February.