Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, has arrived in Miami, concluding days of speculation about his location after Brazil's presidential election. His travel to the United States follows his failure to comply with an order to surrender his passports amid an ongoing criminal investigation.
Bolsonaro's arrival in Florida ends confusion over his whereabouts, which had included reports of travel to Argentina and premature claims of entry into the US. Brazilian authorities had cancelled his passport after he did not turn it in by a deadline. He has denied any wrongdoing and claims to be the victim of political persecution and unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud.
Newly reelected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized Bolsonaro's departure, stating that "those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear." The departure comes as Bolsonaro is scheduled to lose his parliamentary immunity on January 31, when his eight-year Senate term concludes.
He is currently the subject of two investigations before Brazil's Supreme Federal Court. One concerns alleged irregularities in the transfer of nearly $70 million from the private bank Banco Master to the film Dark Horse, a biopic about his father. The second investigation relates to alleged money laundering. Bolsonaro denies the accusations in both cases.
This is not the first instance of a Bolsonaro family member traveling to the United States following a presidential election defeat. Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio's father, also departed for Florida in December 2022 before President Lula's inauguration. Eduardo Bolsonaro, another son, has been living in Texas and took leave from Brazil's Congress. While in the US, Eduardo Bolsonaro lobbied officials in an attempt to influence his father's coup trial, which resulted in punitive tariffs on Brazil and sanctions on key officials by the US. Eduardo was convicted in absentia for these actions by Brazil's highest court earlier this year.
It remains unclear what Flávio Bolsonaro's ultimate destination will be or how long he plans to stay in the US.