Bolsonaro lands in US defying Brazil court order

Flávio Bolsonaro, the defeated candidate in Brazil's recent presidential election, arrived in the United States on Wednesday after evading his home country's legal system. Images broadcast on television showed him disembarking a private aircraft at Miami International Airport alongside his wife Fernanda and their daughters Carolina and Luiza.

The U.S. State Department had previously granted visas to Bolsonaro and his family, enabling their entry into the country, according to a government spokesperson. Argentine authorities reported that Bolsonaro had traversed the land from Brazil to neighboring Ecuador and then proceeded to Miami.

Bolsonaro, a member of Brazil's Senate, disregarded a directive from Brazil's Supreme Court to surrender his passports within 24 hours. Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who is widely despised among right-wing circles, had annulled Bolsonaro's passports and barred him from leaving the country.

The travel ban against Flávio Bolsonaro was instituted as part of a pre-trial probe into the right-wing politician for alleged money laundering. Bolsonaro maintains his innocence.

Brazil's incumbent President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed disapproval of Bolsonaro's departure, insisting that those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear. At a celebration marking his 81st birthday at the presidential palace, Lula lamented the senator's lack of respect for his constituents and for the democratic process.