Bolsonaro Lands in Miami and Calls Himself Brazil’s Rightful Leader

Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing candidate who lost Brazil’s presidential runoff, arrived in the United States on Wednesday and said he is the country’s rightful leader. He denied that he fled Brazil, while President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called his departure shameful.

Bolsonaro landed in a private jet at Opa-Locka Executive Airport near Miami, Euronews reported. The Independent said the U.S. announced Monday that it would grant visas to him and his family.

What happened

Euronews reported that Lula won the runoff on Sunday. The Independent said Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old senator, then spent 48 hours refusing to concede and threatening to seek an annulment of the result. Brazil’s federal electoral court, global leaders, international observers and Bolsonaro’s own party have recognized Lula’s victory, according to the Independent.

Argentina’s migration authority said Wednesday that Bolsonaro traveled through Argentina and Ecuador with his wife and two daughters, the Independent reported. Details of the trip are still emerging, according to Euronews.

Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s Supreme Court over alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in two cases, the Independent said. The court ordered him to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports by noon Tuesday. It remains unclear whether he complied, though allies say he holds an Italian passport.

Bolsonaro’s side

In a statement on X, Bolsonaro first described himself as the elected president, alleged electoral fraud and said he would lead the opposition from the United States, according to Euronews. He later replaced that version with a letter calling himself the country’s rightful leader instead of president.

The Independent reported that he said he had not fled Brazil but left for the good of the country, and that he had left what he called a regime of exception. He said he expected to be silenced, imprisoned and censored like his father if he stayed. He also said there is no arrest warrant against him because he has committed no crime, and called the investigation a politically motivated witch hunt. He thanked Trump and the American people for welcoming him.

Lula and Brazilian officials

Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, told supporters outside the presidential residence in Brasília that he lacked detailed information about Bolsonaro’s whereabouts but confirmed he had left the country. He said he regretted the departure, since Bolsonaro could have stayed to prove the accusations false, and called leaving the country shameful, the Independent reported. Lula has also accused Washington of colluding with the Bolsonaro family to help return them to power; Washington denies meddling in Brazil’s domestic affairs.

Kassio Nunes Marques, chief of the electoral authority, said in a statement that the election complied with legal and constitutional requirements. He did not mention Bolsonaro’s letter, according to the Independent.

What’s at stake for Washington and Brasília

President Donald Trump has told reporters the election was “very strange,” according to both outlets. The Independent said he declined to comment on Bolsonaro’s remarks but said he believed Bolsonaro and his family were treated very unfairly. Euronews reported that he told reporters he will not get involved in the claim to the presidency.

The Independent said the situation complicates matters for Washington as it tries to manage a rift with Latin America’s largest country, which holds the world’s second-largest reserves of rare earths. Euronews described Trump’s administration as having strong links to the Bolsonaro family.

The Independent also noted that Bolsonaro’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, went to Florida after losing the 2022 election and returned to Brazil three months later. Euronews reported that Jair Bolsonaro is now under house arrest in Brazil after attempting to overturn his 2022 loss.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Independent, Euronews