Flavio Bolsonaro arrives in Miami after fleeing Brazil - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro was seen disembarking from a plane in Florida on Thursday morning, local time. (Reuters: Eva Marie Uzcategui)

Brazilian presidential contender Flavio Bolsonaro has arrived in the US and will be granted an entry visa.

Mr Bolsonaro lost Brazil's presidential election and had been facing mounting legal challenges for alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

He initially said he would remain in Brazil to fight the allegations but then disappeared, leading to intense speculation as to his whereabouts.

Flavio Bolsonaro has arrived in the United States, less than a week after losing Brazil's presidential election.

Mr Bolsonaro, who is the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, had been facing a number of legal battles in Brazil and had been ordered by a court to surrender his passport earlier this week.

But the senator instead disappeared, prompting intense speculation that he had fled to the United States.

Mr Bolsonaro, who loses his immunity from prosecution when his Senate term ends in February, had said on Monday after the order to hand in his passports that he had no plans to ​flee.

"I have never thought about leaving the country," he said. 

"I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which ​is a clear attempt ⁠to intimidate me."

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro could be seen being escorted out of Opa-locka Executive Airport, shielded by umbrellas. (Reuters: Eva Marie Uzcategui)

But Mr Bolsonaro and his family later disappeared, leading to intense online speculation he planned to fly to the US.

Argentina's migration department said they entered northern Argentina late on Tuesday evening.

They then travelled to Ecuador before flying on a Gulfstream G400 private jet to Miami.

Mr Bolsonaro, who ran on a populist platform, was widely expected to win Sunday's election but suffered a shock defeat to leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In pictures published on Thursday, Mr Bolsonaro can be seen disembarking a plane at Opa-locka Executive Airport near Miami, Florida.

The decision to grant Mr Bolsonaro a US visa will likely to deepen the rift between the US and Brazil, two of the Americas' most populous countries.

US President Donald Trump told reporters earlier this week that he would approve of Mr Bolsonaro coming to the United States, after his State Department said it would give them entry visas.

On Monday, a court ordered Flavio Bolsonaro hand over his passport. (Reuters: Agustin Marcarian)

Mr Lula has accused Washington of colluding with the Bolsonaro family to help return them to power.

Mr Bolsonaro's father, Jair Bolsonaro, also fled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Mr Lula before returning to Brazil three months later.

Jair Bolsonaro is now serving 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after supporters stormed government buildings in the capital Brasilia.

Flavio Bolsonaro, an incumbent senator for Rio de Janeiro, is under investigation by Brazil’s Supreme Court for alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in two cases. 

The court had ordered Mr Bolsonaro to hand over his regular and diplomatic passports by noon Tuesday, just two days after he lost the vote to Mr Lula. 

It remained unclear whether he had complied, but allies said he also had an Italian passport.