Brazilian opposition leader Flavio Bolsonaro has fled the country after losing the presidential election, with Donald Trump agreeing to let him enter the US despite a Brazilian court order demanding he surrender his passports.
The defeated candidate's whereabouts remained unclear on Wednesday after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he had left Brazil following his election defeat. The US State Department confirmed it would grant visas to Mr Bolsonaro and his family, opening the door for him to travel to America as he faces investigations into alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. Mr Trump subsequently backed the move, describing Mr Bolsonaro and his family as “fine people”.
US support and election doubts
The Republican also questioned the Brazilian election, claiming it was “really strange” and “terrible”, although he insisted he had not endorsed either candidate. Mr Bolsonaro, who had enjoyed Mr Trump's tacit support during the campaign, lost Sunday's run-off to Mr Lula by nearly 4.4 million votes.
With all votes counted, Mr Lula secured 51.8% of the vote, winning more than 64 million ballots compared with fewer than 60 million for his opponent. But Mr Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat, making unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud and demanding the result be annulled.
Departure and passport deadline
Mr Lula told supporters in Brasilia on Tuesday that his defeated rival had left the country, although he did not know exactly where he was. The Brazilian president asked: “What kind of guilt weighs on the conscience of a citizen who has just lost an election and flees his own country?”
Mr Bolsonaro's campaign manager, Rogerio Marinho, said he had been unable to establish contact with the politician since early Tuesday. He said: “We had no news from Flavio or his lawyers about what happened,” adding that the only message he had received was that Mr Bolsonaro wanted to take a break before speaking to his team. Reports also suggested that several of Mr Bolsonaro's allies had been unable to reach him. Argentina's Ministry of Security denied that he had entered the country.
His departure came as a deadline to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports expired at noon on Tuesday. The order was issued by Brazil's Supreme Court on Sunday, the day of the election, and served on Mr Bolsonaro on Monday. It remained unclear whether he had complied with the demand.
In a video posted on social media, Mr Bolsonaro had insisted he would remain in Brazil and challenge the order. He said: “I never thought about leaving the country. I will hand over my passports and I will defend myself from this aberration. It is a clear attempt to intimidate me. But I will not be silenced.”
Investigations and legal status
His family has close links to the US. His brother Eduardo Bolsonaro lives in Texas and had publicly urged him to leave Brazil if he lost the election.
The development comes as Mr Bolsonaro faces two investigations by Brazil's Supreme Court. He denies wrongdoing in both cases. In one investigation, he is accused of using a sports betting company to launder fraudulent deductions from government pensions. In another, he is accused of accepting millions of dollars from a disgraced banker.
Mr Bolsonaro's eight-year term as a senator ends on January 31, 2027, when he will also lose the special jurisdiction he currently enjoys at Brazil's Supreme Court. To overturn the election result, he would need to present evidence of fraud affecting Mr Lula's margin and persuade the electoral court to intervene before the results are certified on December 18.
