Flavio Bolsonaro Flees to Miami After Election Loss and Passport Order Amid Money Laundering Probe

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday morning, according to reports. Mr. Bolsonaro traveled to the United States after losing the presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday and failing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports to federal police.

A senior State Department official stated on Tuesday that the U.S. would issue visas to Mr. Bolsonaro and his family. Mr. Bolsonaro has not yet conceded to Mr. da Silva, though his party has done so. He was ordered to surrender his passports due to an ongoing money-laundering investigation, and he has faced other accusations of criminal activity, all of which he denies.

Upon arrival in Miami, Mr. Bolsonaro was met by his brother, Eduardo, according to Brazilian news outlet O Globo. Eduardo has been residing in the U.S. since last year, having moved there to lobby then-President Donald Trump for assistance for their father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of plotting a coup and is currently serving a 27-year jail sentence.

His arrival in the U.S. risks exacerbating tensions between Washington and Brasilia. Mr. da Silva has accused the U.S. of conspiring with the Bolsonaros to reinstate them in power. Reuters reported prior to Sunday's election about a U.S. State Department campaign aimed at restoring them to office.

Mr. Trump commented on Wednesday, stating, "Well, I would approve [of the Bolsonaros coming to the U.S.]. I think they're fine people. The election was very strange, and I thought it was terrible. It's gotten bad reviews. You look at what happened to their market." He added, "I think it's so terrible to see it. I didn't take sides, you know. I know them both. I know Lula. I know Flavio a little bit. I know the father very well. The father was treated really badly, I thought, but I wasn't involved. That's Brazil. It's a different country." Mr. Trump has previously asserted that Jair Bolsonaro was a victim of judicial persecution in Brazil.

The elder Bolsonaro also traveled to the U.S. after refusing to concede to Lula in 2022, during the presidency of former U.S. President Joe Biden. Mr. da Silva criticized Mr. Bolsonaro's decision to leave Brazil, calling it "shameful" and stating, "Anyone who sneaks out of their country has something to hide."