Flavio Bolsonaro surfaces in Florida, says he left Brazil over 'persecution' after losing to Lula
The defeated presidential candidate left Brazil days after police moved to revoke his passports in a money-laundering probe, prompting Brasilia to summon Argentina's top diplomat.
Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil's presidential runoff to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on October 25, has said he left the country because of what he called persecution. He made the claim in an Instagram livestream on Friday from the United States, where he arrived by private jet earlier in the week.
According to AFP and other reports, Bolsonaro left Brazil secretly on Tuesday, travelled with his family through northern Argentina, and then flew via Ecuador to Opa-Locka Executive Airport near Miami, arriving on Wednesday.
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Passports and investigation
His departure came a day after police informed him that his Brazilian passports were being revoked. The step is linked to a money-laundering investigation that, according to Al Jazeera, is connected to the collapse of Banco Master. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and describes the case as politically motivated. He had been ordered to remain in Brazil while the case proceeds.
In the livestream, Bolsonaro said he and his wife made the decision to leave without telling anyone and asked people not to blame others. He said he had not fled Brazil but had "left for Brazil", and repeated accusations against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. He also suggested the runoff had irregularities without giving specifics, and said he intends to run for president again.
Diplomatic fallout
Lula won the runoff with 51.8 percent of the vote, securing a fourth term. Bolsonaro has not conceded, although his Liberal Party has acknowledged the result.
Brazil's Foreign Ministry summoned Argentina's charge d'affaires on Thursday to seek explanations about the journey. Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said his country had received no formal request. A spokesperson for Argentine President Javier Milei described the trip as a rescue, and Bolsonaro thanked Milei without giving details. US President Donald Trump has suggested the election was rigged but said he would not take sides, and a US official said Washington does not plan to back Bolsonaro's claim to be Brazil's rightful leader.
Why it matters
Brazil is a fellow BRICS member and an important partner for India in trade, agriculture and climate diplomacy. A prolonged dispute over the election outcome, or strained ties between Brazil, Argentina and the US, could complicate regional diplomacy as Lula prepares to begin his new term.
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