Brazil Senator Reportedly Flees to U.S. After Election Loss
Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly departs for Florida as deadline for passport surrender passes following presidential runoff defeat.
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has reportedly left Brazil for the United States on Tuesday, two days after losing the country's presidential runoff to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
An ally of the senator confirmed his departure to Reuters. The flight was reportedly headed to Florida, according to Brazilian outlet Metropoles. Bolsonaro had been out of public view since Tuesday morning, the outlet reported.
His reported departure occurred as a deadline for him to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports expired at noon Tuesday. Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo reported that Bolsonaro was under investigation for alleged money laundering and other crimes. It remained unclear whether Bolsonaro had complied with the order, according to The Associated Press.
Bolsonaro was served with the order Monday, one day after Lula defeated him in Sunday's presidential runoff. With 100% of the vote counted, Lula won 51.8% of the vote, defeating Bolsonaro by nearly 4.4 million votes.
Lula addressed supporters after winning re-election to a fourth, nonconsecutive term. "No one is required to like the president-elect, but he must govern for everyone," Lula said. Referring to his opponent, Lula stated, "This was a defeat for denialism and lies."
The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.