29.10.2026 15:17
Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost the presidential election in Brazil to Lula da Silva, left the country and went to the US after the decision to seize his passports. While it remains unclear how Bolsonaro, who is being processed within the scope of a money laundering investigation, left the country, a statement of support came from Trump. Lula described what happened as "shameful."
Flavio Bolsonaro, who was defeated by incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the presidential elections held in Brazil on Sunday, fled the country without yet officially accepting the election results.
According to information from three separate sources, Bolsonaro traveled to the US with his wife and two daughters. A source close to the family stated that Bolsonaro had reached Florida but did not provide information about exactly where he was located. A senior official from the US State Department announced that Bolsonaro and his family would be granted visas to enter the country.
SEIZURE OF HIS PASSPORTS HAD BEEN REQUESTED
Bolsonaro's departure from the country came after a court ruling issued because of a money laundering investigation against him. Brazil's Supreme Court gave Bolsonaro 24 hours on Monday to hand over his passports. After the deadline expired, it was reported that his passports had been canceled.
The court ruling cited the possibility of Bolsonaro fleeing the country and the significant financial resources he possessed. Bolsonaro, however, rejected the accusations against him and argued that the investigation was aimed at intimidating him.
“I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT LEAVING THE COUNTRY,” HE HAD SAID
Flavio Bolsonaro said in a statement on Monday that he had not thought about fleeing Brazil. Bolsonaro had said, “I never thought about leaving the country. I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this unlawfulness, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me.” However, his departure from the country after this statement drew attention.
A senior official from the Brazilian Federal Police reported that Bolsonaro did not exit the country using any normal border crossing point. It has not yet been clarified how Bolsonaro left Brazil despite the ruling regarding his passports.
TRUMP: I WOULD APPROVE OF HIS COMING TO THE US
US President Donald Trump answered journalists' questions on Wednesday about Flavio Bolsonaro's arrival in the US. Trump expressed his support for the Bolsonaro family, saying, “Of course I would approve. I think they are good people.”
Trump, also assessing the elections in Brazil, said he found the results strange and used the following statements: “The election was very strange and I think it was terrible. It received very bad reviews. Look at what happened in their markets.”
Trump argued that he did not take sides in the elections and said he knew both Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro. Trump, stating that he knew former President Jair Bolsonaro very well, expressed that he thought he had been mistreated in the past.
HARSH REACTION FROM LULA: SHAMEFUL
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reacted to the development, stating that he had just learned that his rival Flavio Bolsonaro had left the country. Saying that Bolsonaro should stay in Brazil and defend himself against the accusations against him, Lula described what happened as “shameful.” Bolsonaro's going to the US increased discussions that relations between the two countries, already tense, could deteriorate further.
HE DID NOT ACCEPT THE ELECTION RESULT
Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost the election held on Sunday, has not yet officially accepted the results. Bolsonaro had announced that he would seek to annul the results, arguing that there were irregularities in the election. However, the Liberal Party he led announced on Monday that it recognized Lula's election victory. Senator Rogerio Marinho, who managed Bolsonaro's election campaign, also said they were surprised by the news of his departure from the country.
Marinho stated that Bolsonaro received approximately 60 million votes and expressed that they expected him to assume the leadership of the opposition after the election.
HE FOLLOWED IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS
Flavio Bolsonaro's going to the US recalled the step his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, took after the 2022 elections. Jair Bolsonaro also went to the US after losing the elections against Lula, without accepting defeat. The former president, who later returned to Brazil, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for planning a coup attempt against the government.
Flavio Bolsonaro's brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, in a statement before the election, had said that he supported his brother leaving Brazil if he lost the election.
HOW HE WENT TO THE US IS UNCLEAR
One of the most discussed topics in Brazil now is how Flavio Bolsonaro, whose passports were canceled, left the country. Federal Police officials reported that there was no record of Bolsonaro exiting through normal border crossing points.
It has not yet become clear which route Bolsonaro used and what his legal status in the US will be. The fact that the senator will also lose his parliamentary immunity when his term ends in February makes the future of the investigation against him more important.