U.S. issuing visas to Brazil's Flávio Bolsonaro and family, official says

Flávio Bolsonaro, Brazilian Senator, has abandoned Brazil following his defeat in the recent presidential election. The election results have seen him trailing significantly behind his opponent, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, by a margin of over 4 million votes. According to sources from US media, Flávio Bolsonaro is now in the United States, a country that reportedly endorsed him as a candidate to challenge the incumbent Lula.

This move comes as Lula has accused Washington of conspiring with the defeated Bolsonaros to reclaim power, alleging a US State Department campaign in their favor.

Bolsonaro's decision to flee may be an attempt to evade prosecution in Brazil. He is currently under investigation by the Supreme Court for accusations of corruption, money laundering, and currency evasion. In response to his failure to comply with a legal order to surrender his passports, the Brazilian government has canceled his travel documents.

This action was taken after the 24-hour deadline, which was issued by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Monday, had expired. Lula, aged 81, won the presidential election with a substantial lead, while his opponent, 45-year-old Flávio Bolsonaro, has a history of political turmoil. In September 2025, his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for allegedly plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

Similar to his son, Jair Bolsonaro also sought refuge in the US after refusing to concede in 2022, when former US President Joe Biden was in office.