The US State Department confirmed on Tuesday that Bolsonaro and his family would receive visas permitting their entry into the United States. His departure followed Sunday’s unexpected electoral defeat by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who secured another term in office.
A senior State Department official said Washington would issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family and permit their entry. A person close to the Bolsonaro family indicated that the defeated candidate had arrived in Florida, although his precise whereabouts remained unconfirmed.
Bolsonaro, 45, left Brazil despite a judicial order prohibiting international travel. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had instructed him on Monday to surrender his personal and diplomatic passports within 24 hours as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.
The deadline expired on Tuesday without compliance, prompting the cancellation of his Brazilian travel documents. Federal Police officials were investigating how the senator managed to leave the country despite the restrictions.
A senior police official indicated that Bolsonaro had not passed through any regular Brazilian immigration checkpoint. Accounts suggesting that he crossed into neighbouring Argentina before travelling towards the United States could not immediately be independently established.
Argentina’s government initially said it had no official record of Bolsonaro entering its territory. Questions remained about his route, the travel documents used and whether Brazilian authorities would seek further judicial measures following his departure.
Lula condemned the development after learning that his defeated opponent had left Brazil. Speaking in Brasília, the president described the departure as shameful and said Bolsonaro should have remained in the country to demonstrate his innocence.
The investigation concerns suspected financial irregularities and alleged money-laundering activities connected with individuals associated with Brazil’s online betting industry. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and maintains that the proceedings against him are politically motivated.
The Supreme Court’s order cited concerns about the possibility of Bolsonaro leaving Brazil and referred to his substantial financial resources. The restrictions were imposed while investigators examined his suspected connections to individuals implicated in financial misconduct.
Bolsonaro had publicly promised to comply with the passport order. Speaking on Monday, he denied contemplating departure and said he intended to challenge the investigation through legal channels.
“I have never thought about leaving the country,” he declared, adding that he would surrender his passports and defend himself against what he characterised as intimidation.
His departure surprised senior figures within his Liberal Party. Senator Rogério Marinho, who coordinated Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign, said party leaders had discussed plans for him to assume leadership of the opposition following the election.
Marinho expressed surprise that Bolsonaro had apparently abandoned those discussions. The senator had been expected to help organise parliamentary resistance to Lula’s administration after the electoral setback.
Bolsonaro’s defeat followed a closely contested presidential runoff on Sunday. Lula secured approximately 51.8 per cent of the vote, defeating his challenger by roughly 4.4 million ballots despite expectations that Bolsonaro could prevail.
The defeated candidate initially questioned the outcome and demanded annulment of the election, alleging irregularities in voting arrangements. Electoral authorities maintained that the circumstances cited by Bolsonaro had not altered the result.
His Liberal Party subsequently acknowledged Lula’s victory, although Bolsonaro himself stopped short of formally conceding defeat. He had indicated that he intended to remain politically active and coordinate opposition forces in Congress.
The episode has introduced another dispute into already strained relations between Brasília and Washington. President Donald Trump questioned the Brazilian election’s credibility on Monday, suggesting that the outcome appeared suspicious without presenting evidence of electoral manipulation.
Trump’s administration has also criticised the treatment of former president Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father, who received a prison sentence exceeding 27 years following his conviction for involvement in an attempted coup after the 2022 election.
Jair Bolsonaro had himself travelled to the United States following his electoral defeat by Lula before eventually returning to Brazil. His son’s departure has consequently drawn attention to the family’s continuing confrontation with Brazil’s judicial authorities.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s Senate mandate is due to expire in February, when his existing parliamentary status and associated legal protections will change.
His younger brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the United States, had publicly advocated departure if Flávio lost the presidential contest. Speaking before the election, Eduardo said leaving Brazil would be preferable following defeat.
The whereabouts of Bolsonaro’s wife and two daughters were also not independently established immediately after Washington announced its decision to provide the family with visas.
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