Flavio Bolsonaro Lands in Miami as Brazilian Passports Expire

Flavio Bolsonaro stepped off a private jet at Miami Opa Locka Executive Airport just before 09:30 local time on Wednesday. Photographers crowded around the Brazilian senator as aides used umbrellas to shield him from the cameras. His arrival in Florida concluded a period of uncertainty that began immediately after he lost the presidential runoff vote on Sunday.

The US State Department confirmed it would issue visas for Bolsonaro and the family members traveling with him. This move followed Brazil's decision to cancel his passport earlier in the week. Authorities took that step after he missed a 24 hour deadline to surrender his documents to officials pursuing a criminal investigation. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing in those cases.

In a statement issued after landing, Bolsonaro referred to himself as the true elected president of Brazil. He thanked the US government for admitting his family and specifically mentioned the presidents of Argentina and the United States. He described the trip as a measure to protect his family and called himself a victim of political persecution. He also accused those who won the election of forming a criminal organization.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who secured reelection in Sunday's vote, reacted to the departure by stating that those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. The confusion over Bolsonaro's location started when an Argentine news site reported he had crossed the land border into Argentina. Brazilian police checked border crossings early Tuesday and found no record of his exit. Argentine officials said they had no data showing he had crossed into their country.

Later that day, sources told broadcasters that Bolsonaro was heading to the United States, and some claimed he had already arrived. Argentine migration authorities corrected that timeline, stating Bolsonaro, his wife, and their two daughters crossed into Argentina by land on Tuesday night. US President Donald Trump acknowledged the uncertainty when asked about the situation, saying he had heard Bolsonaro was in Argentina.

Flight tracking data verified by the BBC shows the family departed Puerto Iguazu, Argentina, at 12:18 local time on Wednesday. They flew to Guayaquil, Ecuador, for a brief stop before continuing to Miami. Bolsonaro is not the first member of his family to relocate to the United States following political shifts in Brazil.

His father, Jair Bolsonaro, moved to Florida in December 2022 before Lula's inauguration. Jair Bolsonaro was still in the US when supporters stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023. He later cited that absence during his trial, which resulted in a conviction and a 27 year sentence. His brother Eduardo Bolsonaro has lived in Texas on leave from Congress and lobbied US officials regarding his father's trial. Flávio Bolsonaro faces two pending investigations at Brazil's Supreme Federal Court. One looks into the transfer of nearly $70 million from Banco Master to a film about his father. The other examines alleged money laundering. His parliamentary immunity ends on January 31, when his Senate term expires.