Flavio Bolsonaro Flees Brazil, Arrives in US Despite Court Travel Ban

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost Sunday’s presidential election to incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, arrived in the United States on Wednesday after fleeing Brazil in defiance of a court order. Television footage showed Bolsonaro stepping off a plane at Opa-locka Airport in Miami. His family was later filmed leaving the airport while shielding themselves behind umbrellas.

According to a Brazilian source close to Bolsonaro, he feared arrest amid ongoing investigations into suspected corruption and money laundering. On Monday, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered him to surrender his passports within 24 hours and barred him from leaving the country. Bolsonaro initially denied plans to flee, but after he failed to surrender his passports, federal police canceled them. No arrest warrant had been issued against him at the time of his departure, although legal experts believe that violating the court orders could provide grounds for one.

His escape route reportedly passed through Argentina, where authorities initially denied that he had entered the country. They later confirmed that Bolsonaro and his family had entered with valid documents and faced no legal restrictions, before departing for Ecuador.

Meanwhile, an adviser to US President Donald Trump confirmed to CNN that Trump had authorized Bolsonaro’s entry into the United States following his election defeat. Two US officials said the United States was issuing entry visas for the family. Trump stated: “Well, I would approve it. I think they are good people. The election was very strange, and I thought it was terrible.” It remains unclear whether the two spoke directly before Bolsonaro fled.

Bolsonaro denies the allegations against him, which include suspected links to illegal gambling platforms and the financing of a biographical film about his father using funds from Banco Master, which collapsed following a $7 billion scandal.