Far-right senator and defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro has left the country and, according to a number of publications, has already arrived in the United States. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine citing The Guardian, Associated Press, and CNN Brazil, as well as Brazilian publications Metropoles and Folha de S Paulo. According to CNN Brazil, the politician left the country early Tuesday morning with his wife and two daughters; sources linked to the US government indicate that the family is already in the United States.
What is Known About the Departure
Sources close to the politician's family reported in a Metropoles publication that Bolsonaro is heading to the US and noted that «the plane is in flight», without specifying exactly where the departure took place. The candidate's allies specified that he would arrive in Florida on Tuesday afternoon and plans to apply for political asylum. The politician's entourage confirmed to Folha de S Paulo that he is heading to the US and stated that the departure plan was «organized and implemented by a lawyer close to the Bolsonaro clan». Some publications, notably the Spanish-language Infobae, pointed to a different route — across the border with Argentina, but the main version confirmed by CNN Brazil and the politician's entourage involves a flight.
Visas and Washington's Position
A high-ranking US State Department official, commenting to the Associated Press, stated that Flávio Bolsonaro and his family will be issued visas. According to Metropoles, the administration of US President Donald Trump was informed about the trip. The exact whereabouts of the family in the US at the time of publication were not disclosed; initially, as CNN specifies, arrival in Florida was planned. According to a source close to the politician, he left his homeland due to fears of a possible arrest.
Investigation and Surrendered Passport
In Brazil, according to media reports, Bolsonaro was under investigation on charges of corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion; he was ordered to surrender his passport. The politician had not been seen since Monday and missed the Tuesday morning deadline to surrender the document, which reports say fueled rumors of a possible departure. On Monday, according to the newspaper O Globo, during a meeting with friends and lawyers, the defeated candidate looked «obsessed» and, as the publication reports, «made it clear that he was afraid of arrest». Following the senator's refusal to surrender his passports, federal police revoked his documents, CNN notes.
Repeating the 2022 Scenario
Media note that Flávio Bolsonaro effectively repeated the decision of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who went to the US two months after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. As publications emphasize, the younger Bolsonaro enjoyed the tacit support of US President Donald Trump. Following his defeat in Sunday's election, he initially refused to acknowledge the results, but reportedly changed his mind later, and Brazil's Liberal Party acknowledged his defeat.
