Bolsonaro’s departure to US draws scrutiny of Trump and Milei

The Associated Press reported on Oct 29 that Flávio Bolsonaro had gone to Miami after losing Brazil’s presidential election. His journey through Argentina and Ecuador, alongside reports that his passports had been cancelled, has brought scrutiny of how he crossed borders and gained entry to the United States.¹³⁴

Election defeat and passport orders

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Bolsonaro in the presidential run-off, according to the South China Morning Post. The Straits Times reported that Bolsonaro rejected the result and pledged to pursue its annulment. The New York Times reported that he faces several criminal investigations in Brazil.¹²³

According to The Straits Times, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered Bolsonaro to hand over his passports because of concerns that he would leave the country. Bolsonaro said the court had prohibited him from travelling abroad, while publicly stating that he intended to comply with the passport order.¹

“I never had any intention of leaving the country,” Bolsonaro said, according to The Straits Times. The newspaper nevertheless reported that he left without surrendering his passports. It cited a police source as confirming that both his Brazilian passport and his diplomatic passport had been cancelled.¹

The route to Florida

According to The Straits Times, Bolsonaro entered Argentina on Oct 28 at 0150 GMT, over 12 hours after his departure was first reported. Brazilian police said there was no official record of his exit from Brazil, according to the newspaper.¹

The same report said Bolsonaro entered Argentina with valid travel documents and faced no legal barrier to entry. It also reported plans for him to board an aircraft in Puerto Iguazu. His campaign manager, Rogerio Marinho, said he did not know Bolsonaro’s whereabouts.¹

A private jet took Bolsonaro and his family to Guayaquil in Ecuador, where it made a brief refuelling stop before continuing towards Miami, The Straits Times reported. The family reached Florida’s Opa-Locka airport about 12 hours after leaving Argentina, according to its account.¹

Questions over entry and political consequences

The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump ensured Bolsonaro could enter the United States. The Straits Times separately reported that Bolsonaro used his cancelled diplomatic passport to enter. Those accounts place the arrangements for his admission alongside the questions surrounding his departure from Brazil.¹²

By Oct 31, Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei were facing pressure to explain their countries’ roles, the South China Morning Post reported. It also said Bolsonaro, who was under investigation on suspicion of money laundering, declared himself Brazil’s rightful leader after landing in Florida.³

The Associated Press assessed that the departure could diminish Bolsonaro’s leadership of Brazil’s political right and make relations between Brazil and the United States more complicated. It also described his relocation as following those of his father and brother after political setbacks.⁴