Flavio Bolsonaro leaves Brazil; US to issue visas amid questions over possible help
US says it will grant visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family as allegations surface about Washington’s role in his departure.
Flavio Bolsonaro left Brazil in breach of a court order two days after his father’s defeat in the presidential vote, and US authorities have confirmed they will grant visas to him and his immediate family, while questions are being raised about whether Washington helped arrange the departure.
Travel timeline and US response
Argentine immigration authorities confirmed that Bolsonaro crossed from Brazil into Argentina on October 27 at 22:50 with valid travel documents; about forty minutes later the family boarded a private aircraft bound for Guayaquil, Ecuador. According to reports the plane later continued on to Miami, but there has been no official confirmation of the family’s arrival in the United States.
A senior US official said, "The State Department will issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family and will allow them entry into the United States." President Donald Trump, asked whether he approved Bolsonaro’s arrival, replied: "Yes, I would approve it. I think they are good people." The White House has not announced any decision to grant political asylum.
Bolsonaro left Brazil after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered him to surrender his passports and barred international travel because of a risk of flight. The senator faces an investigation on suspicions of money laundering, which he denies; his passports were cancelled after the deadline for surrender had passed.
Family-linked sources told Brazilian media that the US administration actively participated in planning the departure, and an adviser to President Trump reportedly informed Bolsonaro as early as Monday that Washington would permit his entry. Mexican businessman Simon Levi has claimed the operation was organised by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a claim for which no independent confirmation exists.
Domestic reactions were immediate. Flavio Bolsonaro had said the day before he left: "I have never thought of leaving the country. I will hand over the passports and will defend myself against this absurd decision, which is clearly an attempt to intimidate me." President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described the departure as shameful and said Bolsonaro "should have handed over the passport." US Representative Joaquin Castro has demanded explanations about any possible role by the Trump administration, stressing that "Losing an election is not a basis for asylum."
Photo: press material from the event
