In short
- Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro landed at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on Wednesday, ending days of confusion over his whereabouts after his run-off election defeat.
- The United States granted visas to Bolsonaro and his family after Brazilian authorities cancelled his passports as part of a criminal investigation; he denies any wrongdoing.
- US President Donald Trump told reporters: “We gave him a pass to come into the country.”
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential run-off by more than four million votes, and the result was confirmed by the president of the country’s top electoral court.
- Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father, also flew to Florida in December 2022 and was later convicted in a coup trial and sentenced to 27 years.
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro said he “did not flee Brazil” after landing in Miami, ending days of uncertainty about his whereabouts following his defeat in Sunday’s presidential run-off. The United States granted visas to Bolsonaro and his family after Brazilian authorities cancelled his passports as part of a criminal investigation.
What did Flávio Bolsonaro say about leaving Brazil?
In his first statement since his departure, Bolsonaro said: “I did not flee Brazil; I left for the sake of Brazil.” He added: “It was never my intention to leave my homeland, but I know exactly where this is heading,” and said he had left “from a regime of exception so that I could become the leader my people deserve.”
Bolsonaro described himself as the victim of a coup d’état and political persecution, and said he travelled to the United States to protect his family. In the same letter he repeated unsubstantiated allegations of “electoral fraud”, saying a “mathematical impossibility” had occurred in the vote. He thanked the presidents of Argentina and the United States, and the American public “who share the same values as the good people of my own country”.
How did Flávio Bolsonaro reach Miami?
Argentina’s migration authority said Bolsonaro, his wife and two daughters crossed into Argentina by land on Tuesday night local time. Flight tracking data verified by the BBC indicated the group left Puerto Iguazú in Argentina at 12:18 local time (03:18 GMT) on Wednesday for Guayaquil in Ecuador, before the same private jet continued to Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, where they were photographed disembarking shortly before 09:30 local time (13:30 GMT).
The arrival followed a day of conflicting reports: Bolsonaro was reportedly said to have left Brazil after his election defeat, and was prematurely reported to have entered the US on Tuesday.
Why were his passports cancelled?
Brazilian police checked border crossings early on Tuesday and found no evidence that Bolsonaro had left the country, while Argentine officials said they had no reports of him crossing. When he failed to surrender his passports within a 24-hour deadline that day, the authorities cancelled the documents and ordered checks at border posts. His lawyers said they did not know where he was. The passports were cancelled in connection with a criminal investigation, and Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing.
What have Donald Trump and Lula said?
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday: “We gave him a pass to come into the country.” Trump declined to address the fraud claims in Bolsonaro’s letter, saying: “I won’t get involved. It was a very strange election, that’s for sure,” and adding that he thought Bolsonaro “and his family were treated very unfairly”.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won Brazil’s presidential run-off by more than four million votes, criticised the secretive departure, saying: “those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear”. The result was confirmed by the president of Brazil’s top electoral court, who was appointed by Flávio Bolsonaro’s father, former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Has a Bolsonaro gone to Florida before?
Flávio Bolsonaro is not the first member of his family to travel to the United States. Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida in December 2022, before Lula’s inauguration, and was still in the US when his supporters stormed Brazil’s government buildings and Supreme Court on 8 January. He later used his absence as part of his defence in his coup trial, which ended in his conviction and a 27-year sentence.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s younger brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, posted a photograph of the two together on social media with the location listed as “United States”. He wrote: “Today’s photo after reuniting with my brother Flavio Bolsonaro. Yesterday was a long day, perhaps the longest of my life. But we prevailed. Even here outside, we will not give up on Brazil.”
Frequently asked questions
Did Flávio Bolsonaro flee Brazil?
He denies it. In his first statement after leaving, Bolsonaro said: “I did not flee Brazil; I left for the sake of Brazil,” and said the trip to the United States was intended to protect his family.
Why did the US let Flávio Bolsonaro enter the country?
The United States provided visas to Bolsonaro and his family after Brazilian authorities cancelled his passports during a criminal investigation. US President Donald Trump said: “We gave him a pass to come into the country.”
Where did Flávio Bolsonaro land in the US?
Flight tracking data verified by the BBC showed the private jet reached Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on Wednesday, with the group photographed disembarking shortly before 09:30 local time.
Who won Brazil’s presidential election?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the run-off by more than four million votes, a margin attributed to higher turnout and more undecided voters moving to him. The result was confirmed by the president of Brazil’s top electoral court.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)