Days after vowing to remain in Brazil to lead the political opposition, Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has fled to the United States following his presidential election defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro lost the race by a margin of more than 4 million votes, prompting a swift departure from his mansion in Brasília just hours after he assured his 16 million Instagram followers that he would stay and serve as the final obstacle to the Workers’ Party.
The Trump State Department confirmed to the Associated Press that it will grant visas to Bolsonaro and his family. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed reporters on Monday, describing the election as looking “like another rigged election” without providing credible evidence, even as Bolsonaro’s own political party formally acknowledged Lula’s victory later that day.
Bolsonaro’s sudden exit mirrors the actions of his father, convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro. Following his 2022 reelection loss, the elder Bolsonaro refused to attend the January 2023 inauguration and fled to Orlando, Florida, staying in a Minions-themed children’s bedroom at the home of retired UFC fighter José Aldo. A week later, his allies stormed the capital in Brasília, vandalizing Congress, the presidential palace, and the Supreme Court in an effort to overturn the government. Jair Bolsonaro was subsequently sentenced to 27 years in prison for leading the coup plot, which authorities say involved plans to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. He remains under house arrest.
In the United States, Flávio will join other members of his family who have relocated abroad. His brother, former Brazilian congress member Eduardo Bolsonaro, has established residence in a $1.2 million home in Southlake, Texas, after receiving green cards for his family. Eduardo was sentenced in absentia to four years and two months in prison for lobbying the U.S. government to intervene in his father’s trial.
Flávio Bolsonaro faces severe legal jeopardy in Brazil. Investigative reporting published in May revealed chat logs and audio recordings showing the senator negotiating $24 million—and receiving $10 million in wired funds—from disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro. While Bolsonaro claimed the money was intended to finance a biopic about his father starring Jim Caviezel titled “Dark Horse,” Brazilian Federal Police are investigating whether the funds were instead used to finance Eduardo’s lobbying efforts in the United States to secure sanctions against Brazil.
Additionally, Flávio is under investigation for alleged ties to a billion-dollar money-laundering scheme operated through an online betting company managed by close friend and business partner Willer Tomaz. Tomaz left Brazil in August and is currently residing in Miami, and Flávio reportedly had access to one of Tomaz’s offshore accounts.
Anticipating a potential flight risk following the election, Brazilian Federal Police asked the Supreme Court to order Bolsonaro to surrender his passport. A top justice granted the request, and after the compliance deadline passed, the court canceled the senator’s travel documents. By that time, however, Bolsonaro had already departed the country.
