Reuters, citing sources, reported that Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost the October 25 runoff to President Lula, left for the United States without obeying a Supreme Court order to hand over his passports. His side has not formally confirmed it, and Argentine authorities denied he entered their country.
According to Reuters as relayed by Newspim, Flavio was ordered shortly after his defeat to surrender his ordinary and diplomatic passports within 24 hours as part of a money-laundering probe, and federal police revoked them once the deadline passed. Financial News said the Supreme Court also barred him from leaving the country. How he left, and whether he can enter the US, remains unclear.
광고 문의 · 300×250The Liberty Times, citing Reuters, reported he went to the US without handing in his passport, and added that on the 26th he had said he had no plans to leave. A senior federal police official told Reuters he appeared not to have used a formal exit point.
The probes and the flight allegation
According to the Liberty Times, he is under investigation over money laundering through a betting firm, alleged fraud of elderly pensions, and millions of dollars allegedly received from a notorious banker. Prosecutors suspect the money paid for his brother Eduardo's expenses and lobbying of the Trump administration. He denies all charges, acknowledging only that he sought funds for a film about his father.
Financial News reported Brazilian media saying he planned to travel via Argentina, and that Argentine officials searched a private jet at Iguazu airport without finding evidence he boarded. The Brazilian government also found no exit record, and many border points have no resident immigration staff, so whether he actually left is not settled.
His father's precedent and what is at issue
He has not conceded and has kept making unverified fraud claims, while his Liberal Party is reported to have recognised Lula's win. His Senate term ends on January 31, 2027, after which he loses special jurisdiction before the Supreme Court. Whether he violated the travel ban and whether this was a flight to evade justice has not been confirmed.
His father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, also went to Florida after losing in 2022, later returned, and was sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup; he is now under house arrest. Lula has accused the US government of helping the Bolsonaros return to power, while the Trump administration calls Jair a victim of judicial persecution. The family says the Supreme Court is engaged in political repression and has asked President Trump for help, while the court says its investigations lawfully protect the rule of law.
