Rubio denies US role in Flavio Bolsonaro’s departure from Brazil - Anadolu Ajansı

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday denied that Washington helped Flavio Bolsonaro leave Brazil and travel to the United States, saying the administration was not involved in arranging his departure.

Speaking to reporters in Atlanta, Rubio said the US government had no direct role in arranging the departure of the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

“We didn’t facilitate anything,” Rubio said. “We were not involved in any of the arrangements he made in terms of leaving.”

Rubio acknowledged that President Donald Trump had authorized Bolsonaro’s entry, explaining that the Brazilian politician already held a valid visa.

“The president made clear that if he arrived in the United States at a port of entry, that he would be paroled into the country, and he was,” Rubio said.

Bolsonaro, who lost last week’s presidential runoff to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has alleged electoral fraud without presenting evidence and vowed to lead the opposition from Florida.

His departure came despite a Brazilian Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports amid investigations into alleged money laundering and financial fraud.