Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami with his family on Wednesday after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports, escalating tensions between Brasilia and Washington following his defeat in Sunday's presidential election.
The U.S. government has said it will grant entry visas to Bolsonaro and his family, despite the Brazilian investigation into alleged corruption and money laundering. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing.
Reuters TV footage showed Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters disembarking from a Gulfstream G400 private jet at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.
Their journey to the United States unfolded across several countries under a cloud of secrecy. Argentina's migration department said the family entered northern Argentina late Tuesday before traveling by private jet to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and then continuing to Miami.
Argentina's presidency, Ecuadorian government ministries and Baires Fly, the private jet operator, did not respond to requests for comment.
The arrival followed conflicting reports about Bolsonaro's whereabouts. CNN and The Washington Post reported Tuesday that he had reached the United States, citing anonymous sources, while a Brazilian police source told AFP there was no formal record of his departure.
The source also said Bolsonaro's Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been canceled. However, the senator has held Italian nationality since 2023, according to an Italian parliamentary document reviewed by AFP.
U.S.-Brazil tensions deepen
Bolsonaro's departure threatens to further strain relations between the two largest countries in the Americas, as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused Washington of helping the Bolsonaro family regain power.
Reuters reported before Sunday's election on a U.S. State Department campaign aimed at restoring the family to office.
U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, said Wednesday he supported Flavio Bolsonaro coming to the United States. The State Department had announced a day earlier that it would issue visas to the senator and his family.
Trump has repeatedly portrayed Jair Bolsonaro as a victim of political and judicial persecution in Brazil. He also claimed Monday that Brazil's election was rigged following Flavio Bolsonaro's defeat, without providing evidence.
Jair Bolsonaro traveled to the United States in December 2022 after losing that year's presidential election to Lula and refusing to concede. He returned to Brazil three months later and was eventually sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his supporters' storming of government buildings in Brasilia.
Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, had campaigned on a pledge to secure his father's release. He was widely expected to win Sunday's election after finishing ahead of Lula in the first round, but the incumbent secured 51.8% of the vote in the final round.
The senator rejected the result and said he would seek to have it annulled, citing an extension of polling hours intended to address transportation difficulties that prevented some voters from reaching polling stations. Both campaigns had requested an extension, with Bolsonaro's team citing bad weather in parts of the country.
Investigation raises stakes
Bolsonaro's decision to leave Brazil came days after a Supreme Court justice ordered him to surrender his passports. The senator had said Monday he intended to comply and defend himself against what he described as an attempt to intimidate him.
"I have never thought about leaving the country," he said. "I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me."
His defeat also puts his legal position at greater risk. Bolsonaro is expected to lose parliamentary immunity when his Senate term ends in February, potentially exposing him to further legal action.
His campaign manager, Rogerio Marinho, said Tuesday he had been unable to establish the senator's whereabouts.
Marinho told reporters in Brasilia that Bolsonaro had sent him a text message that morning, saying he would wait before speaking to the campaign team. He said he had received no further communication and expressed shock at reports that the senator had left the country.
Lula condemned the reported departure, calling it shameful and suggesting it raised questions about Bolsonaro's intentions.
Separately, Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered police to investigate alleged foreign financing of Bolsonaro's campaign and possible overseas interference, including the manipulation of social media.
Lula's campaign had accused Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, of algorithmic manipulation that affected the election. Meta denied favoring either candidate, although it acknowledged that some of Lula's campaign advertisements had been mistakenly deactivated because of technical errors.