Flávio Bolsonaro flees to U.S. after election defeat, weighs asylum - Valor International

Less than two days after losing Brazil’s presidential election, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party, PL) fled to the United States with his family and is considering seeking political asylum from the administration of President Donald Trump. His departure defied an order from Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes requiring him to surrender his passports and remain in Brazil. A U.S. government official said the State Department will issue visas to the senator, his wife and their two daughters, allowing them to enter the country.

Flávio, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, arrived in the U.S. through Miami, Valor learned from one of his allies. He was met by his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL), who has been in the country since early 2025.

Flávio’s decision drew criticism from members of his own party and dampened enthusiasm among some supporters. Campaign officials said they no longer expect to file further challenges with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (Workers’ Party, PT) victory. The campaign’s legal team reacted with surprise and outrage, while the senator’s hasty departure has already generated resistance within the PL.

Flávio is under investigation by the Federal Police on suspicion of corruption, money laundering and illegal transfers of funds abroad in two separate inquiries. He will lose the special jurisdiction afforded to lawmakers when his Senate term ends in February 2027. Allies say he fears arrest.

Federal Police are investigating his unexplained departure for the U.S. The agency said it has no official record of the senator leaving Brazil. Contacted by Valor, Flávio did not answer calls. His lawyer, Frederick Wassef, said reports of his client’s departure had caught him by surprise and that he did not know where the senator was. “I don’t know what they’re talking about,” he told reporters.

Flávio left Brazil after Justice Moraes on Monday (Oct. 26) ordered him to surrender both his regular and diplomatic passports within 24 hours and barred him from traveling abroad. The senator missed the deadline, prompting Federal Police to cancel his regular passport.

The Supreme Court proceedings are confidential but are believed to be linked to a money-laundering investigation opened after authorities gained access to the phone records of lawyer and businessman Willer Tomaz, a friend of Flávio.

The senator is also being investigated in a separate inquiry examining the origin and destination of R$134 million in transactions involving former Banco Master banker Daniel Vorcaro, intended to finance “Dark Horse,” a film about the life of Jair Bolsonaro.

Hours after Moraes issued his order, Flávio released a video Monday afternoon saying he would comply and denying any intention of leaving Brazil. He attributed the court’s decision to remarks by his brother Eduardo, a former lawmaker, who had said he should leave the country if he lost the election. Eduardo has remained in the U.S. since early 2025, claiming to be the target of politically motivated legal persecution.

Flávio has refused to acknowledge Lula’s victory at the polls.

Federal Police had explicitly warned Moraes that the senator might flee to the United States. The warning was included in a request submitted Sunday (Oct. 25) to seize his passports.

Investigators also said Eduardo could provide his brother with arrangements for a “long-term stay” in the U.S. The request mentioned Tomaz, who has been outside Brazil since August and “has sufficient financial resources to remain abroad indefinitely, should he so wish.”

PL national chair, Valdemar Costa Neto, and Senator Rogério Marinho (PL), who coordinated Flávio.’s presidential campaign, called an emergency meeting with party lawmakers. Party members sought to distance themselves from the senator’s decision, saying they had been taken by surprise.

Marinho said he exchanged messages with Flávio around 8 a.m. Tuesday (Oct. 27), when the senator told him he intended to “take some time off.” He said he had heard nothing from him since.

“We were surprised and still have no information about his whereabouts,” Marinho told reporters. He added that he had last seen Flávio on Monday afternoon.

Members of the former candidate’s campaign expressed disbelief. Some described his departure as “shameful,” arguing that it would be difficult for the defeated presidential contender to lead the opposition from abroad.

They believe Flávio should face the Brazilian justice system, even at the risk of arrest, and fear that his absence could weaken the right by depriving the Bolsonaro movement of its leader.

Two politicians seen as potential presidential candidates in 2030 — Senator-elect Michelle Bolsonaro (PL) and reelected São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans Party) — also sought to distance themselves from Flávio. Neither commented on his trip to the United States following the election defeat.

Michelle, the former first lady, met with Costa Neto, who said afterward that they had discussed the party’s future. She has had personal disagreements with her stepson and did not participate in his presidential campaign.

De Freitas meanwhile, called for unity on the right and a vigilant opposition in a video posted on social media.

Paulo Figueiredo, a blogger and Bolsonaro family ally who lives in the U.S., defended the senator, saying the “judicial persecution” against him had already begun.

“Flávio first needs some peace, and then we’ll organize communication with the press,” Figueiredo said. “Having Flávio Bolsonaro in the United States allows us to move forward with explaining what is happening in Brazil.”

Bolsonaro is expected to speak publicly this Wednesday about his departure from Brazil.

It remains unclear how Flávio left the country or whether he traveled through Argentina or Venezuela on his way to the United States.

Earlier Tuesday, Argentine news website Infobae reported that the senator had entered Argentina overnight and would fly from there to the United States.

Argentina’s National Migration Directorate, however, said it had no record of his entry.

In an official statement, the agency said reports of a private aircraft at Iguazú International Airport had prompted authorities to inspect the plane and its crew.

The agency said the company’s documentation was in order and that no flight plan listing Flávio Bolsonaro had been submitted.

This article was translated from Valor Econômico using an artificial intelligence tool under the supervision of the Valor International editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to our editorial standards. Read our Editorial Principles.