Flávio Bolsonaro Flees Brazil After Presidential Election Defeat, US To Grant Family Visas

The far-right opposition leader Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly fled Brazil after losing to the left-wing incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in Sunday’s presidential election. A senior US State Department official said the US will issue visas to him and his family.

Bolsonaro fled Brazil a day after Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passports as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.

He left the country after saying on Monday that he had “never thought about leaving the country.” Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing and has yet to concede defeat to incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, according to Reuters.

The whereabouts of Flávio Bolsonaro, his wife, and their two daughters were not immediately known. A source close to the family said Flavio had arrived in Florida but did not disclose his exact location.

A senior US State Department official said the US would grant visas to Flavio and his family and allow them to enter the country.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva criticised the senator’s decision to leave Brazil, calling it shameful. Lula has previously accused members of the Bolsonaro family of seeking US interference in Brazilian affairs for political gain. He said Flavio should have remained in Brazil to prove his innocence.

“A person who sneaks out of their country must have something to hide,” Lula said in Brasilia during celebrations marking his 81st birthday. He also described Brazil as the Bolsonaro family’s “second country” and the US as their first. “The act of leaving Brazil is shameful,” Lula added.

Growing Tension Between US And Brazil

Flavio Bolsonaro’s departure could further strain relations between the United States and Brazil, the two most populous countries in the Americas. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused Washington of working with the Bolsonaro family to help them regain power.

US President Donald Trump has previously claimed that Flavio’s father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, was targeted by judicial persecution in Brazil.

Jair Bolsonaro also travelled to the US after refusing to accept Lula’s victory in the 2022 election, when Joe Biden was still US president. He later returned to Brazil and was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. The case followed an attack by his supporters on government buildings in Brasilia.

Trump did not comment on Flavio Bolsonaro’s departure when speaking to reporters on Monday. However, he questioned the legitimacy of Brazil’s election, saying it “looked like another rigged election.”