Flavio Bolsonaro left Brazil amid money-laundering investigation

Departure follows defeat in presidential runoff

Move risks deepening US-Brazil tensions

Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, who is under investigation on money-laundering charges, traveled to the United States on Sunday — immediately after losing the presidential election — in defiance of a court order to surrender his passport. He is pictured at a press conference in Brasilia in August. [AFP]
Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, who is under investigation on money-laundering charges, traveled to the United States on Sunday — immediately after losing the presidential election — in defiance of a court order to surrender his passport. He is pictured at a press conference in Brasilia in August. [AFP]

Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, who is under investigation on money-laundering charges, left for the United States immediately after losing the country's presidential election, defying a Supreme Court order to surrender his passport.

Reuters reported Tuesday (local time), citing two sources familiar with the matter, that Bolsonaro had left Brazil and was heading to the United States. His specific destination, expected arrival time and whether he intends to seek asylum were not confirmed.

The eldest son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, he lost the presidential runoff on Sunday to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in an upset. The day after the vote, on Monday, the Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passport within 24 hours as part of the money-laundering investigation, but he did not comply. His passport was subsequently reported to have been invalidated, yet he managed to reach the United States before that took effect.

A senior Brazilian federal police official said there was no record of him having passed through regular immigration checkpoints. Bolsonaro has denied the charges, and as recently as Tuesday had said he had "never once thought about leaving the country" and would hand over his passport and cooperate with the investigation.

His departure is expected to deepen tensions between Brazil and the United States. The Donald Trump administration has backed former President Jair Bolsonaro — convicted of plotting a coup following his 2022 election defeat — as a political ally, claiming he has been subjected to judicial persecution. The administration also imposed 50 percent tariffs on Brazil in response to the elder Bolsonaro's conviction, and expressed support for Flavio when he entered the presidential race.

President Lula has repeatedly criticized the United States for backing the Bolsonaro family's bid to return to power, condemning Trump's statements about the former president and the tariff measures as violations of Brazilian sovereignty. Lula has voiced those positions forcefully on international stages, including at the UN General Assembly.

Former President Jair Bolsonaro also fled to the United States after his 2022 election defeat before eventually returning to Brazil, where he was later sentenced to 27 years in prison on charges of plotting a coup.


kate01@heraldcorp.com