Under-fire Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro landed in Florida on Wednesday after fleeing his home country in defiance of a Supreme Court travel ban, prompting sharp criticism from Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and swift political backing from U.S. Donald Trump.
The 45-year-old lawmaker touched down at a private airport in Opa-Locka, north of Miami, alongside his wife and two daughters after utilizing an Italian passport to cross the border into Argentina late Tuesday before traveling onward through Ecuador. The departure violated a direct order issued by Brazil’s Supreme Court requiring him to surrender all travel documents within 24 hours amid an expanding financial crimes investigation.
An Escape Routed Through South America to Florida
The evasion unfolded rapidly in the days following the presidential runoff, which Lula won with 51.8 percent of the vote against 48.2 percent for Bolsonaro. Just hours after the electoral defeat, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered an emergency travel ban and passport surrender. Instead of complying, Bolsonaro orchestrated his departure. His father, former Jair Bolsonaro, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for planning a post-election coup.
According to reports, Bolsonaro crossed into Argentina Tuesday using his Italian citizenship papers, while his family traveled on Brazilian documents. A charter flight then carried them north, with a stop in Ecuador, before completing the journey to Florida.
I did not leave Brazil, I went for Brazil.
Speaking in a live-streamed video on Instagram, the senator defended his exit by claiming he faced mounting persecution in his homeland. Reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that the charter flight was organized through a network involving former Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller and the senator’s brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has lived in the United States since 2025.
Investigations Into Money Laundering and Illegal Campaign Financing
While Bolsonaro has dismissed the legal actions against him as political persecution according to statements he published online, Brazilian authorities are probing multiple financial irregularities. Prosecutors are investigating his alleged involvement in an online sports betting scheme and money laundering tied to fraudulent deductions from state pensions for seniors. Investigators are also examining millions connected to a biographical film about his father involving banker Daniel Vorcaro.
BREAKING: Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro steps off a private jet in Miami after President Trump approved his entry into the United States despite a court order banning him from leaving his home country.Bolsonaro reportedly used an Italian passport to… pic.twitter.com/kIkKAuUOnn
Additionally, inquiries were ordered into potential foreign campaign financing from the U.S.-based Rockbridge Network. Under Brazilian constitutional law, political parties are strictly prohibited from accepting financial assistance from abroad. Representatives for Rockbridge have denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as false information.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, had also used the presidential aircraft to travel to the United States in December 2022 just before his mandate ended, refusing to accept his own defeat against Lula.
Following his arrival in Florida on Wednesday morning aboard a private jet that cost around 140,000 dollars according to reporting by La Nación, Flávio Bolsonaro took to social media and initially declared himself the elected president
and claimed that criminals had stolen the election and built a tyranny. Hours later, he edited his statement to omit those phrases and instead referred to himself as the “leader” of Brazil.
International observers noted that the presidential election on Sunday ran fairly, with the Superior Electoral Court confirming that Lula won the runoff with 51.8 percent of the vote compared to 48.2 percent for Bolsonaro, securing a total margin of about 4.4 million votes. While the Liberal Party formally acknowledged the defeat, Flávio Bolsonaro opted to contest the outcome. Senator Rogerio Marinho expressed surprise over the departure, noting that they had discussed Bolsonaro taking on the role of opposition leader given his 60 million votes.
Donald Trump openly sided with the family, labeling them decent people and describing the election as very strange and terrible, though he declined to elaborate on the basis of his claims. Trump has continued to refuse to acknowledge his own 2020 presidential defeat.
Washington Openings and Domestic Rejection in Brazil
The arrival of the Bolsonaro family has triggered immediate diplomatic friction. President Trump publicly defended the clan, calling them decent people and casting doubt on the integrity of the Brazilian election. The U.S. administration quickly signaled its willingness to grant entry and travel documentation to the senator.
Back in Brasília, the reaction has been severe. President Lula condemned the escape as shameful and accused Washington of shielding political allies. Domestically, Bolsonaro’s own Liberal Party (PL) formally recognized Lula’s victory, distancing itself from the voter fraud accusations he posted on social media. Even key figures on the Brazilian right, such as São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, urged conservatives to respect the certified outcome.
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro disembarks from a plane after arriving at Opa-Locka Executive Airport near Miami, Florida. He is currently under investigation by the country's highest court for alleged acts of corruption and money laundering. Reuters/ Eva Marie Uzcategui pic.twitter.com/z3o7cHNMna
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🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🗳️ Brazil's defeated right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro stepped out of a private plane in Florida on Wednesday morning, AFP witnessed, despite a court order banning him from leaving his country ➡️ https://t.co/5z3gcMuVyS pic.twitter.com/I0pDhNjATO