Bolsonaro's Son Claims Brazil Ban on Leaving Country After Election Loss

Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, claims he was banned from leaving Brazil and ordered to hand over his passports shortly after his father's election defeat to leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The senator stated that police stopped him in the street after he had visited his imprisoned father.

Bolsonaro asserted that the order was based on a ruling from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over his father's trial. Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest following his conviction in September of last year for plotting a coup.

In a social media video, Flavio Bolsonaro said, "I was ordered right on the street to hand over my passports, and I'm also prohibited from leaving the country." He suggested this action followed comments made by his brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is in self-imposed exile in the U.S., suggesting Flavio should leave Brazil if he lost the runoff election.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured a historic fourth term in Sunday's election, narrowly defeating Jair Bolsonaro with 51.7% of the vote compared to 48.2%. The result defied polls and signaled a halt to a wave of right-wing victories across Latin America.

Jair Bolsonaro initially refused to accept the results, seeking to annul them due to a Supreme Court ruling that extended voting hours. Lula, an 80-year-old former metalworker and union leader, achieved a significant comeback after finishing second in the first round of voting. His victory marks the first time since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s that a candidate who initially placed second in the first round has gone on to win the presidency.