U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied that President Donald Trump’s administration assisted Brazil’s defeated presidential candidate, Flavio Bolsonaro, in fleeing the country for the United States following his runoff election loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro arrived in Miami, Florida, on a Wednesday, just a day after the U.S. Department of State announced that he and his family would be granted visas following his October 25 election defeat, an outcome that ran counter to a regional trend of conservative electoral victories across Latin America. Prior to his departure, Bolsonaro had been ordered by authorities to surrender his passport after law enforcement identified him as a flight risk, and he remains under investigation in Brazil on allegations of corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia, during a gathering of diplomats from the Group of 20 major economies, Rubio pushed back against suggestions of direct involvement. “We didn’t facilitate anything,” Rubio said. “We had word that he had arrived in the United States. He had previously held a visa, and the president made a decision to allow him to enter the country.” He added that the U.S. government was not directly involved in any of the logistical movements made by Bolsonaro.
Rubio also noted that he had encountered Brazil’s foreign minister, Mauro Vieira, in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday, and anticipated further meetings with Brazilian officials in November during a foreign ministers conference in France.
Meanwhile, President Trump voiced explicit sympathy for the former Brazilian candidate, whom he had previously characterized as the victim of a rigged election. Speaking to reporters on Saturday at his Florida residence, Trump indicated that Bolsonaro could remain in the country indefinitely. “I think he got treated very shabbily, very shabbily, so he can stay here as long as he wants,” Trump said. According to reports, Bolsonaro entered the United States under humanitarian parole, a temporary status typically valid for one year. Trump’s remarks signal that diplomatic relations between the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere could face continued friction.
Following his runoff defeat, Bolsonaro traveled from Brazil through Argentina and Ecuador before reaching the United States. While some media reports alleged that White House official Jason Miller played a role in arranging portions of the journey, administration officials have maintained distance from the travel logistics. Bolsonaro has consistently refused to concede the election, labeling the results fraudulent without offering evidence. Since landing in the U.S., he has asserted that he remains the rightful leader of Brazil and that he departed his home country to escape what he described as political persecution.
