Bolsonaro’s son Flavio flees to US after election loss in Brazil

On October 28, defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro departed from Brazil despite a court order prohibiting his departure, according to US media reports on Tuesday. The son of former President Jair Bolsonaro lost the election to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and has refused to concede. On Monday, a Supreme Court justice reportedly ordered Flavio to surrender his passports, citing his investigation for corruption and money laundering.

With his election defeat, Flavio will also lose parliamentary immunity. The 45-year-old arrived in the United States, according to CNN and the Washington Post, though the exact location remains undisclosed. The US State Department announced on Tuesday that it would issue visas to Flavio and his family, but did not confirm his travel plans.

Brazilian police confirmed that Flavio's Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been canceled, stating that there is no formal record of his departure from the country. However, Flavio holds Italian nationality since 2023. Flavio's campaign manager, Rogerio Marinho, expressed shock at reports of his client's departure, stating that he received a text from Flavio earlier in the day expressing the intention to speak with the media.

Lula called Flavio's departure a "shameful" act, suggesting he had something to hide. Jair Bolsonaro, whose son's election loss has prompted his own push to annul the result, said he would seek to challenge the outcome over extended polling hours.