Flavio Bolsonaro Flies to US After Election Loss, Securing State Department Visas

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has traveled to the United States following his defeat in the presidential election held on October 25. Three sources confirmed his departure on October 28, noting that the move occurred after he refused to comply with a court order to surrender his passports. A senior official at the US State Department confirmed that the agency will issue visas for Bolsonaro and his family, allowing them entry into the US.

The senator left Brazil without conceding the election to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He departed after a Supreme Court order required him to hand over his passports within 24 hours of losing the vote. The order was part of a money laundering investigation in which Bolsonaro claims no wrongdoing. Two sources stated that his passports were canceled once the deadline passed on Monday.

Bolsonaro’s exact location is not yet public, though one source close to the family said he landed in Florida. His wife and two daughters are also believed to be with him. The Supreme Court ruling cited the risk of flight and his significant financial resources as reasons for the passport requirement. His immunity from prosecution will end when his Senate term concludes in February.

President Lula spoke in Brasilia on October 28, stating he had only just learned of the departure. He described the move as shameful and argued that Bolsonaro should have remained in Brazil to prove his innocence. Lula has previously accused the US government of working with the Bolsonaro family to help them return to power. Reuters reported before the election that the State Department had launched a campaign to restore them to office.

President Donald Trump did not mention the departure during a press briefing on Monday. He characterized the Brazilian vote as looking like another rigged election. Trump has previously described former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio’s father, as a victim of judicial persecution. The elder 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.

The exit appeared to catch his own campaign team off guard. Campaign manager Senator Rogerio Marinho told reporters that the team had discussed just a day earlier that Bolsonaro should take on the role of opposition leader after receiving 60 million votes. Bolsonaro had said on Monday that he had no plans to leave and would defend himself against what he called a travesty. He stated, 'I have never thought about leaving the country,' and added that he would hand over his passports to defend himself.