Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro Reportedly Flees Brazil Amid Controversy
Reports from Brazilian news outlets Metropoles and Jovem Pan indicated on Tuesday that Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro fled the country after authorities tried to confiscate his passport. This news follows initial claims from Argentine news network Infobae, which stated that Bolsonaro, the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, had traveled to Argentina on his way to the United States. Infobae has since updated its report, noting that the private jet believed to be carrying Bolsonaro may have canceled its flight.
Bolsonaro lost a closely contested presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday. Lula, who celebrated his 81st birthday on Tuesday, is expected to serve at least another four years. The election was overshadowed by controversy, particularly after a top court justice, who once acted as Lula’s defense attorney, issued a last-minute decree extending voting hours, raising questions about the electoral process.
Initially, Sen. Bolsonaro suggested he would contest the election results, calling for a redo. However, on Monday, he released a video from an undisclosed location stating that he would not challenge the outcome but would seek a legal order to declare Lula and his running mate, Gerald Alckmin, unfit for office. He also denied contemplating leaving the country.
Bolsonaro claimed that Lula’s administration had moved to revoke his passport shortly after the election, allegedly in relation to an ongoing corruption investigation. Lula himself had previously been convicted of corruption in a 2017 case but had his conviction overturned in 2021, allowing him to run for president again.
According to Metropoles, citing “people close to the Bolsonaro family,” the senator was reportedly on a flight to Florida as of Tuesday afternoon. It was mentioned that he had gone quiet among his associates and communicated with his campaign manager that he was “cooling [his] head.” Neither the Bolsonaro camp nor the Brazilian government confirmed this, and earlier reports suggested there was no immigration record indicating he had attempted to leave Brazil.
In a similar vein, Jovem Pan reported on Tuesday that its sources within law enforcement confirmed Sen. Bolsonaro’s departure. However, the outlet noted that there were no records of his travel to Argentina, and many of his allies were left scrambling, unable to reach him following the flight rumors.
Interestingly, before these updates, Infobae mentioned that a private plane had made a stop in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, possibly to carry Bolsonaro to Florida. They later reported the flight was canceled due to one of the passengers being absent, and both Brazilian and Argentine officials denied any information that Bolsonaro had left Brazil or entered Argentina. Flight trackers corroborated that the aircraft did not take off from Puerto Iguazú.
Additionally, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that Argentina’s National Immigration Directorate had no record of Sen. Bolsonaro entering the country. It was also noted that he had not surrendered his regular or diplomatic passports to authorities as required. Reports suggested this inaction could render his passports invalid, potentially making it difficult for him to travel. Supporters in countries such as Argentina and the United States might consider granting him political asylum, viewing him as a target of a politically motivated crackdown.
