Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family arrived in Miami on Wednesday, after he refused to concede to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and then departed Brazil.
In a journey that included stops in Argentina and Ecuador, Bolsonaro, his wife, and two daughters landed in Florida after the Trump administration granted them U.S. visas. Bolsonaro, an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, had visited the White House in May.
Bolsonaro's father, Jair Bolsonaro, also fled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula, returning to Brazil three months later. Flávio Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s Supreme Court for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. The court had ordered him to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports by Tuesday, though it remained unclear if he had complied. Allies have stated he also possesses an Italian passport.
Flávio Bolsonaro, dressed casually, arrived in Miami shortly after 9:30 a.m. EDT. Florida is home to the largest Brazilian population in the United States.
His family fled Brazil on Tuesday, entering Argentina via the Tancredo Neves International Bridge. Within an hour, they reportedly boarded a private charter plane that later landed in Guayaquil, Ecuador, before continuing to Miami.
President Lula da Silva, who turned 81 on Tuesday, expressed regret over Bolsonaro's departure, stating, “I regret that he left Brazil, because he could have stayed here and proven that the accusations are not true. This act of leaving Brazil is shameful.”
Paulo Figueiredo, a Bolsonaro ally residing in the U.S., confirmed that Flávio Bolsonaro was safe and resting with his family.
Bolsonaro’s travel through Argentina may cause a diplomatic rift between Lula and Argentine President Javier Milei, who had supported Bolsonaro's campaign.
Former President Trump commented on Bolsonaro's arrival, stating he would approve of his coming to the U.S. and calling the family "fine people." Trump also expressed skepticism about the Brazilian election results, stating, "The election was really strange, and I thought it was terrible," though he did not provide further details. Global leaders and the Organization of American States have endorsed Lula's election victory.
Flávio Bolsonaro was ordered to surrender his Brazilian passports on Monday. A Brazilian diplomat indicated that Bolsonaro used an Italian passport to enter Argentina, bypassing Brazilian exit checkpoints as they are not required for departure. Brazil's federal police were not monitoring Bolsonaro as he left Brasilia because the Supreme Court had not issued an arrest warrant.
Bolsonaro's term as a senator is set to expire on January 31, 2027. He is being investigated by Brazil's Supreme Court for alleged money laundering through a sports betting company and for allegedly accepting millions from a disgraced banker.