Lula says Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil due to a ‘guilty conscience’ - Valor International

Two days after being reelected, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party, PT) reacted on Tuesday (27) to the departure from Brazil of his opponent, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party, PL), saying the lawmaker had left the country because he had “a guilty conscience.” Lula described the departure as a “disrespect” to the voters who had supported the PL candidate and said that anyone who leaves Brazil in a hurry must be afraid of something.

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“I’ve heard that my opponent has left. I can only imagine what he has on his conscience, because when someone loses and flees the country, it’s because they’re afraid of something,” the PT leader said. News that the former presidential candidate was heading to the U.S. began circulating on Tuesday, after Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court ordered his passport seized.

“Anyone who sneaks out of their own country must owe something or be afraid of something. And he shouldn’t go abroad claiming that Brazil has no democracy. If there were no democracy, a militiaman wouldn’t be allowed to run for president,” Lula continued, referring to criminal gangs in Brazil, which he has associated with Flávio and his dealings in Rio de Janeiro politics. “I regret the lack of respect he has shown his own voters and democracy,” the reelected president added.

Lula recalled the elections he had contested and lost to Fernando Henrique Cardoso, as well as his imprisonment during Operation Car Wash. He emphasized that he had remained in Brazil in both cases. The PT leader also said Flávio could do the same and prove that the allegations against him were unfounded.

“Unfortunately, that’s what the Bolsonaro family is like, and Brazil is their second homeland,” he commented, without mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump. “Leaving the country is shameful.”

Lula made the remarks on Tuesday during celebrations marking his 81st birthday. Supporters organized a party for the president outside the Alvorada Palace. Featuring a cake decorated in red and white and bearing the words “People are meant to shine,” the event brought together party activists and members of his government. In an emotional speech, Lula thanked supporters for Sunday’s (25) election victory.

In his address, Lula renewed his criticism of the U.S. and said he had won the election despite what he described as interference by big tech companies in Brazil’s elections. “[We won despite] digital platforms such as Meta working against us, and despite the interests of the U.S. government, which worked against us.” He repeated the slogan “Brazil is nobody’s backyard,” one of the main messages of his reelection campaign this year.

Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (Brazilian Socialist Party, PSB), who was also reelected on the PT ticket, described the senator’s flight as “incomprehensible.” “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.

Flávio appears to have left Brazil in the early hours of Tuesday (27), accompanied by his wife and two daughters. He is under investigation in two inquiries, one of which concerns suspected involvement in a money-laundering scheme. On Monday afternoon, he said he had been summoned by the Federal Police (PF) to surrender his passports and added that he would comply with the order.

Given the current international situation, the Brazilian government does not expect the U.S. to take any action regarding the senator if his presence there is confirmed. Although the lawmaker’s departure took the federal administration by surprise, government officials point to the examples of Flávio’s brother, former congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL), and former Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) chief Alexandre Ramagem, who was convicted of attempting a coup in Brazil. Both have been able to remain in the U.S. despite not having passports.

According to government officials, the matter is for the courts and the Federal Police to handle. They explain that if the Supreme Court orders Flávio’s extradition, the Foreign Ministry would be responsible for submitting the request through diplomatic channels, but the decision itself does not rest with the ministry.

The defeated candidate has not yet made a public statement. Once his Senate term ends in February 2027, Flávio will lose his special jurisdictional status, which currently determines where certain investigations involving him must be handled.

The senator is under investigation in two criminal inquiries over suspected involvement in corruption and money laundering. One concerns the financing of the film “Dark Horse,” for which Flávio asked former banker Daniel Vorcaro, of Banco Master, for R$134 million.

The senator says the money was sought as a private sponsorship, but he has yet to provide an accounting of how it was used. During the presidential campaign, Lula demanded receipts for the money, without success.

The second inquiry, disclosed in October, examines suspicions that the lawmaker participated in a money-laundering scheme involving lawyer Willer Tomaz, who is his personal friend. In the ruling ordering the surrender of the passports, Justice Alexandre de Moraes also prohibited Flávio from communicating with another person under investigation.

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.