Flávio Bolsonaro flees Brazil for US after losing election: Reports

Flávio Bolsonaro, defeated Brazilian presidential candidate, has reportedly departed Brazil for the United States following his electoral loss to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday, according to numerous media outlets. His spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. Bolsonaro's brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, residing in Texas, had previously urged his brother to leave Brazil in the event of a loss.

Flávio Bolsonaro, who frequently interacted with U.S. President Donald Trump and visited the White House in May, is linked to the Trump administration through familial ties. Eduardo Bolsonaro faced an in absentia conviction in June for allegedly lobbying the Trump administration illicitly and was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison.

A warrant for Eduardo's arrest has been issued. Despite Donald Trump's lack of a full endorsement of Bolsonaro, as seen with other Latin American right-leaning candidates, he claimed in a statement on Monday, with no supporting evidence, that Brazil's election was rigged. Bolsonaro, aged 45, received a notice to surrender his passports on Monday, a day after his significant loss to Lula.

The deadline for passport surrender expired on Tuesday. A sealed Supreme Court order, obtained by The Associated Press, commanding passport surrender was issued on Sunday. Bolsonaro has refused to concede and has made unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. Initially, he requested the annulment of election results after chaotic polling conditions led authorities to extend voting hours.

On Monday, he pushed for an investigation into alleged fraud and the nullification of Lula's and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin's candidacies, a request the Supreme Court has never considered before. To reverse the outcome, Bolsonaro would need to present evidence of fraud affecting Lula's 4.4 million-vote lead and persuade the eight-member electoral court before the December 18 certification of results.

Lula, who celebrated his 81st birthday on Tuesday, garnered over 64 million votes, while Bolsonaro received fewer than 60 million votes, a difference of about 4%. Bolsonaro stated in a video posted on his social media on Monday that he had no intention of leaving Brazil and instead aimed to organize opposition within his congressional peers to the election results.

His eight-year term as a senator concludes on January 31, 2027, which will also result in the loss of his special jurisdiction at Brazil's Supreme Court. Bolsonaro is currently under investigation by Brazil's Supreme Court for corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion allegations in two cases. One case involves using a sports betting company to launder fraudulent government pension deductions for senior citizens, while the other involves accepting millions of dollars from a disgraced banker, with prosecutors suspecting the funds were used to pay Eduardo Bolsonaro's expenses and promote Flávio Bolsonaro's political agenda with the Trump administration, according to documents.

Brazilians had previously inquired about Bolsonaro's whereabouts via social media. Reporters gathered outside his home in Brasilia, but he was not seen. A spokesperson for Argentina's Ministry of Security denied reports of Bolsonaro entering the country. Brazilian media outlets indicated that many Bolsonaro supporters had been unable to contact him.

Paulo Figueiredo, a close ally of Bolsonaro who resides in the United States, was questioned about the senator's location and offered no direct answer. In a statement, Figueiredo, following months of efforts thwarted unfairly, expressed his reluctance to speak with the press and requested that inquiries cease until he had a statement to make.