Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has denied fleeing the country after arriving in Miami, saying he left Brazil to protect his family and prepare to lead the country despite what he described as political persecution.
“I did not flee Brazil; I left for the sake of Brazil,” Bolsonaro said in his first statement since his departure to the United States.
His arrival in Florida ended days of uncertainty over his whereabouts after reports suggested he had travelled to Argentina and then entered the United States earlier than confirmed.
Bolsonaro thanked the presidents of Argentina and the United States, as well as Americans who he said shared the values of Brazilians.
“It was never my intention to leave my homeland, but I know exactly where this is heading, I departed from a regime of exception so that I could become the leader my people deserve.”
He described himself as a victim of a coup d’état and political persecution, and repeated unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud in Brazil’s presidential election.
Bolsonaro claimed the alleged fraud had produced what he called a “mathematical impossibility”, but offered no substantiation for the claim in his statement.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration had allowed Bolsonaro and his family to enter the country. “We gave him a pass to come into the country.”
Trump declined to discuss Bolsonaro’s electoral fraud allegations, but said he believed the senator and his family had been treated unfairly. “I won’t get involved. It was a very strange election, that’s for sure.”
Newly re-elected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticised Bolsonaro’s departure, saying: “Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear.”
Lula won the presidential run-off by more than four million votes after Bolsonaro’s strong performance in the first round. Higher voter turnout and support from undecided voters contributed to Lula’s victory, while the result was confirmed by the president of Brazil’s top electoral court, who was appointed by Bolsonaro’s father, former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Questions about Flávio Bolsonaro’s whereabouts intensified after reports emerged that he had crossed into Argentina by land before boarding a private jet to the United States.
Brazilian police checked border crossings early on Tuesday but found no evidence that he had left the country. Argentine officials also initially had no record of his crossing.
Bolsonaro had been under investigation, and authorities had ordered him to surrender his passports. When he failed to meet a 24-hour deadline on Tuesday, Brazilian authorities cancelled the documents and ordered police to conduct checks at border posts.
Several sources later said and other broadcasters that Bolsonaro was heading to the United States. A cousin close to Flávio and his younger brother Eduardo said that he had arrived in Miami.
However, Argentine migration authorities subsequently announced that Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters had crossed into Argentina by land on Tuesday night.
Flight-tracking data as verified indicated that the family departed Puerto Iguazú in Argentina at 12:18 local time on Wednesday, travelling to Guayaquil, Ecuador.
After a brief stop, the private jet continued to Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, where the family was photographed disembarking shortly before 09:30 local time.
Photographers surrounded Bolsonaro as he left the airport, while members of his team attempted to shield him with umbrellas.
His brother Eduardo later posted a photograph of them together, with the location listed as the United States. “Today’s photo after reuniting with my brother Flavio Bolsonaro. Yesterday was a long day, perhaps the longest of my life. But we prevailed. Even here outside, we will not give up on Brazil.”
Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure follows earlier trips to the United States by members of his family.
His father, Jair Bolsonaro, travelled to Florida in December 2022, shortly before Lula’s inauguration.
Jair Bolsonaro was still in the United States when his supporters stormed Brazil’s government buildings and Supreme Court on 8 January 2023. He later cited his absence as part of his defence in a coup trial that resulted in a conviction and a 27-year prison sentence.
Flávio’s younger brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, has been living in Texas after taking leave from Brazil’s Congress.
While in the United States, Eduardo lobbied American officials in an attempt to influence his father’s coup trial. The dispute contributed to the US imposing punitive tariffs on Brazil and sanctions on key Brazilian officials.
Brazil’s highest court convicted Eduardo in absentia earlier this year over his actions.
It remains unclear how long Flávio Bolsonaro intends to stay in the United States or where he plans to go next.
He is the subject of two investigations before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, both of which he denies wrongdoing in.
One concerns possible irregularities involving the transfer of nearly $70 million from private bank Banco Master to Dark Horse, a film about his father.
The second concerns alleged money laundering. Bolsonaro is also due to lose his parliamentary immunity on 31 January, when his eight-year Senate term ends, potentially changing his legal position as the investigations continue.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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