By Samuel Olusegun Precious
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has fled to the United States after losing Sunday’s presidential runoff election to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, despite a Supreme Court order banning him from leaving the country.
According to reports by USA Today and CNN, Bolsonaro left Brazil on Tuesday and landed in the US with his family after the Trump administration agreed to issue visas and grant him entry.
The development comes a day after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports within 24 hours as part of a criminal investigation into alleged money laundering, and banned him from traveling abroad.
Brazil’s Federal Police said his Brazilian and Italian passports were cancelled after he failed to comply with the order. Bolsonaro, 45, is the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and was the right-wing candidate in the election. He suffered a surprise defeat in Sunday’s October 26 runoff, scoring 48.2 percent against Lula’s 51.79 percent, according to Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court.
The senator had denied plans to flee the country in a video posted on Instagram on Monday, saying he had “never thought about” leaving Brazil. Argentine media outlet Infobae reported that he crossed into Argentina via the Puerto Iguazu border before flying to the US, although the Argentine government said it has no record of him entering the country.
Trump Approved Entry
A senior US State Department official said Washington will issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family. A Trump adviser told CNN that President Donald Trump personally approved allowing him entry into the United States.Trump had earlier described the Brazilian election as “very strange” and criticized the court order against Bolsonaro.
Speaking to reporters overnight, Trump said: “I would approve. I think they are fine people. The election was very strange, and I thought it was terrible.”
Money Laundering Probe
Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s highest court for alleged acts of corruption, money laundering and currency evasion. He has denied any wrongdoing. He will lose his parliamentary immunity from February after losing the presidential race. His brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, has been living in the US since February 2025.
Lula Reacts
Reacting on his 81st birthday in Brasilia, President Lula described Bolsonaro’s exit as “shameful.”
“This is what the Bolsonaro family is like. Brazil is their second nation, the US is their first,” Lula said.
The former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had similarly traveled to the US in December 2022 after losing to Lula, before returning to face charges over a coup plot.
