Flávio Bolsonaro Lands in Miami After Fleeing Brazil Following Defeat

Flávio Bolsonaro, the defeated candidate for president of Brazil, arrived in Miami at approximately 9:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday. He stepped off his private jet into a casual dark polo shirt, accompanied by his wife and two daughters. The family had left Brazil late Tuesday night after Bolsonaro refused to acknowledge the victory of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Argentine immigration officials stated that the senator entered the country via a land border checkpoint before boarding a charter plane. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicates the aircraft landed in Guayaquil, Ecuador, around 4:00 a.m. local time. It departed for Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport shortly after landing. A Brazilian diplomat, speaking to the Associated Press, confirmed that Bolsonaro used an Italian passport for the journey. The official noted that authorities do not typically scrutinize Brazilians leaving through land borders.

Bolsonaro faces multiple investigations by Brazil’s Supreme Court. The court alleges he engaged in corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. Specifically, prosecutors are examining his use of a sports betting company to launder fraudulent deductions from government pensions. In a separate case, he is accused of accepting millions of dollars from a banker. Bolsonaro has denied all wrongdoing. The Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his Brazilian and diplomatic passports by noon Tuesday. It remained unclear if he complied before his departure.

In his first public comment since leaving the country, Bolsonaro issued a statement on X. He described himself as the president-elect and a victim of electoral fraud. He claimed that a criminal organization had stolen the election and established a tyranny. The 45-year-old senator is a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, who visited the White House with him in May. The Trump administration approved U.S. visas for Bolsonaro and his family earlier this week.

President Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, addressed supporters outside the presidential residence in Brasilia. He expressed regret that Bolsonaro left the country, stating that the former senator could have stayed to prove the accusations were false. Lula called the act of leaving "shameful." Lula’s re-election came after a second-round victory by a margin of roughly 4.4 million votes. The Organization of American States and world leaders endorsed the result.

The route through Argentina may strain diplomatic relations between Brazil and Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei, another Trump ally, traveled to Brazil to support Bolsonaro’s campaign. Juan Pablo Carreira, a presidential spokesperson for Milei, said on social media that the Argentine administration rescued Bolsonaro from the claws of communism. He noted that the ruling party seeks to imprison opposition figures. Representatives of the Brazilian government have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.

Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, also fled to Florida after losing the 2022 election before returning to Brazil three months later. Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for his role in an attempted coup. Flávio Bolsonaro said in a video on Monday that he was organizing opposition among his congressional colleagues. His term as a senator expires on January 31, 2027. His party, the Liberal Party, released a statement accepting the election results.