Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter US after Brazil election loss, source says
Trump Approved Allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to Enter the US, Source Says
Goldlaner.com – Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter the United States after the Brazilian senator lost Brazil’s presidential runoff, according to a Trump adviser. The decision came as Bolsonaro faced a court order to surrender his passports and mounting legal scrutiny in Brazil.
US officials had indicated that visas would be issued to Bolsonaro and members of his family. By Tuesday afternoon, a person familiar with the situation said he had arrived in the United States, though his location was not publicly disclosed.
It was unclear whether President Donald Trump spoke directly with Bolsonaro before his departure. The adviser said administration officials learned Monday that Bolsonaro had roughly 24 hours to hand over his passport and communicated that he would be allowed to enter the country.
Brazilian court order and passport dispute
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports within one day. Bolsonaro said police officers personally delivered the order and told him that he was not permitted to leave Brazil.
In a video posted on Instagram, Bolsonaro denied that he intended to flee. His whereabouts nevertheless drew attention after he left Brazil following Sunday’s election. Brazil’s Federal Police canceled his passports after he failed to surrender them, CNN Brasil reported.
Infobae reported that Bolsonaro may have traveled through Argentina, but Argentina’s government said it had no record of him entering the country. There was no arrest warrant against him when he departed Brazil, although legal analysts said failing to comply with the passport order could lead authorities to seek one.
Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s highest court over allegations involving corruption, money laundering and currency evasion. He denies wrongdoing. One inquiry concerns alleged illegal online betting platforms, while another examines funding for Dark Horse, a biopic about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Election loss deepens political tensions
Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter the US after a major reversal in Brazil’s election. Bolsonaro had been widely viewed as the favorite, but President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the second-round vote by 4.4 million votes.
Bolsonaro initially declined to concede and said his campaign would seek to annul the result. His Liberal Party later changed its position. Speaking to supporters Tuesday, Lula called Bolsonaro’s departure shameful and said his rival should remain in Brazil to address the accusations through the courts.
“Shameful.”
Trump, a close ally of the Bolsonaro family, had briefly imposed tariffs on Brazil in response to the criminal case involving Jair Bolsonaro. He also claimed without evidence that Lula’s victory had been “rigged.”
A wider Bolsonaro network abroad
Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter amid a growing number of Brazilian conservatives living outside the country. The group includes his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, former intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem and podcaster Paulo Figueiredo.
Eduardo Bolsonaro had suggested before the runoff that his brother should leave Brazil if his presidential campaign failed. He later rejected claims that Flávio Bolsonaro had fled.
The senator’s departure also recalls Jair Bolsonaro’s move to Orlando, Florida, after his 2022 election loss to Lula. Jair Bolsonaro remained in the United States for three months while hundreds of his supporters later attacked government institutions in Brasília.
FAQ: Flávio Bolsonaro’s entry into the United States
Why was Flávio Bolsonaro allowed to enter the US? A Trump adviser said Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter despite the Brazilian court order involving his passports.
Was Flávio Bolsonaro facing an arrest warrant? No arrest warrant was outstanding when he left Brazil. However, legal analysts said failure to comply with the passport order could potentially affect future legal action.
Where did Flávio Bolsonaro arrive in the United States? A person familiar with the situation confirmed that he reached the US, but his arrival location was not made public.