Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has fled to the United States, days after losing the presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and hours after vowing to remain in the country to clear his name. The 45-year-old senator from Rio de Janeiro, along with his wife Fernanda and their two daughters, left Brazil on a private jet, according to the Brasília-based news site Metrópoles and confirmed by other Brazilian and international outlets.
The family's destination in the US remains unclear. Some reports suggest they may have first crossed into Argentina—where Bolsonaro's ally, far-right President Javier Milei, holds power—before flying north. The senator's brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, resides in Texas and has faced legal trouble in Brazil for attempting to use the Trump administration to pressure Brazilian authorities over the prosecution of their father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro's flight came just one day after he publicly declared, "I have never thought about leaving the country" and "I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty." He was referring to an order by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to surrender his passport amid an ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, and foreign currency violations. The senator was supposed to hand over the document on Tuesday but did not appear.
His departure mirrors the actions of his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who also fled to the United States after losing the 2022 election to Lula, refusing to accept the result. The elder Bolsonaro was later convicted of conspiring to violently remain in power and is now serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest, with a ban on running for office until 2030.
A pattern of defiance and escape
Flávio Bolsonaro's refusal to accept the election outcome—he groundlessly demanded an annulment—and his subsequent flight have drawn sharp criticism from Brazilian officials. President Lula responded tersely: "Unfortunately, the Bolsonaro family is like that." He accused the senator of "bootlicking in the United States," adding that "Brazil is his second homeland."
Guilherme Castro Boulos, Secretary-General of the Brazilian Presidency, was more blunt. "Leaders face things head-on! Rats run away!" he said. "It is a shameful thing, which should make Brazilian society as a whole reflect, especially those who supported and voted for Flávio Bolsonaro. He slapped his supporters in the face and left them on the side of the road."
Boulos continued: "Almost 60 million Brazilians trusted him as political leadership to run the country, and 24 hours later, he flees. And it's no use coming up with this talk of persecution, of dictatorship. He ran away because he must. This reveals the DNA of Bolsonarism—Bolsonarism is made of cowardice."
Erika Hilton, a federal deputy from São Paulo representing the Socialism and Liberty Party, called Bolsonaro "a traitor to the homeland" on social media.
The senator's flight also contradicts his earlier pledge to disprove allegations of money laundering, corruption, and other crimes. He has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing. He is also under investigation for raising millions of dollars from a disgraced banker implicated in a scheme to finance a biopic of his father.
In the United States, the Trump administration appears ready to welcome the Bolsonaro family. A senior State Department official told the Associated Press that US visas would be issued to Bolsonaro and his relatives. Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) criticized the move, saying on X: "Losing an election is not grounds for asylum. Yet the Trump administration is giving Flávio Bolsonaro safe haven in the United States. The Trump administration owes Congress answers on its role helping Bolsonaro flee Brazil in contravention of Brazilian law."
Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told Common Dreams that the US is using "international law designed to protect the persecuted to shield another corrupt authoritarian government from criminal prosecution. Perhaps this is what is meant by the Trump-led 'Shield of the Americas.'"
Flávio Bolsonaro's escape stands in stark contrast to Lula's own legal ordeal. The president spent 580 days in prison after being convicted in corruption cases linked to Operation Car Wash, but his convictions were annulled in 2021 on procedural grounds, restoring his political rights and paving the way for his 2022 victory. Lula's comeback reshaped Brazil's politics and the region's balance, and his latest win over the Bolsonaro heir has again drawn international attention to the country's democratic resilience.
As the Bolsonaro family seeks refuge abroad, the political fallout continues to reverberate in Brasília. The senator's flight raises questions about accountability and the lengths to which some will go to avoid facing justice. For now, the younger Bolsonaro has chosen exile over confrontation, leaving his supporters to ponder the cost of their loyalty.
