The US State Department will issue visas to Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them to enter the United States, a senior department official told Reuters. Where Flávio Bolsonaro is remains unconfirmed. So does how he left Brazil after losing the October 25, 2026 runoff to Lula.
The State Department will issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them entry into the United States,
the official said, according to Reuters.
NPR notes his whereabouts have not been independently confirmed. CBS adds that a visa announcement does not establish that he has applied for or received asylum.
From Election Night to Tuesday, a Senator Goes Missing
- Sunday, October 25: Brazil’s electoral authority announced Lula as winner with 51.79 per cent of the vote, ABC News (Australia) reported. Bolsonaro said he would not concede and would seek annulment.
- Monday, October 26: the Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passports within 24 hours, NPR reported. In an Instagram video he said he would comply.
- Tuesday, October 27: the deadline lapsed and the passports were cancelled, two sources told Reuters. Fox News says the deadline for him to surrender his passports expired at noon Tuesday, while other reports say he missed a Tuesday-morning deadline.
Lula’s margin is reported differently. NPR says more than four million votes, with about 64.2 million for Lula and nearly 59.8 million for Bolsonaro. Al Jazeera says more than 4.4 million.
Bolsonaro Denies Wrongdoing as Court Orders Passports Surrendered
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to turn in his passports within 24 hours on Monday, CNN reported. The order is part of a money-laundering probe in which Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing. In a ruling seen by Reuters, the court cited the risk of flight and his significant financial resources
.
DW says a second inquiry examines his ties to a banker who allegedly gave him millions of dollars for the biopic “Dark Horse”. He denies wrongdoing in both cases.
On Monday he said: I never thought about leaving the country,
and promised to hand over his passports. His campaign chief, Senator Rogério Marinho, told reporters he was surprised by the news. He said they had discussed the day before Bolsonaro taking on the role of opposition leader.
His Liberal Party has recognized Lula’s victory. Bolsonaro himself has not conceded, Reuters and NPR report.
Florida or Ecuador? Accounts of His Whereabouts Clash
One source close to the family told Reuters he had landed in Florida but would not say where. CBS reported he arrived there with his wife and two daughters. ABC says the BBC reported he met his brother Eduardo in Florida. ABC adds there is no official confirmation.
Argentina’s immigration ministry said on X, per CNN, that Bolsonaro and his family entered Argentina late Tuesday with valid documentation
. They then boarded a flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador, according to its flight plan. CBS reports the same Argentine statement.
DW, however, cites a spokesperson for Argentina’s Ministry of Security who denied he had entered. ABC says local authorities have no record of a border crossing. The Hindu, citing Reuters, says it was unclear whether he could seek US entry with cancelled passports.
Lula Calls Exit Shameful as Trump Alleges a Rigged Vote
Speaking at his 81st birthday event in Brasília on Tuesday, Lula called the departure shameful. DW renders his words as: “Those who are not liable do not fear. A fellow that secretly leaves his country, that’s because he is liable for something.”
He also said Brazil is the Bolsonaro family’s second country, The Guardian quoting him on the first being licking American boots
.
Trump told reporters the election looked like another rigged election,
Al Jazeera reported, which added that no evidence has emerged of malfeasance. A Trump adviser told CNN the president approved Bolsonaro’s entry. Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro said Trump should tell Congress whether his administration played a role in Bolsonaro’s exit.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the US, said earlier this month: If my brother does not win, I'm in favour that he would leave the country.
Bolsonaro Loses Immunity in February 2027
Bolsonaro loses his immunity from prosecution when his Senate term ends in February 2027, DW and Reuters report. His father, Jair Bolsonaro, is under house arrest after being sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.
The sources do not settle whether he is in Florida or bound for Ecuador, how he crossed the border, and whether he will seek asylum. Sean Foreman, a Barry University political science professor, told CBS: He was supposed to surrender his passport and didn't do so.