Flávio Bolsonaro denies fleeing Brazil after landing in Miami

Brazilian senator and Liberal Party (PL) candidate in the recent October 2026 presidential election, Flávio Bolsonaro, has denied fleeing Brazil after arriving in Miami, United States, with his family, days after losing to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

In a statement issued after his arrival on Wednesday, October 28, Bolsonaro said his decision to travel to the US was motivated by concerns about his family and what he described as political persecution.

“I did not flee Brazil; I left for Brazil’s sake,” he said, according to Al Jazeera. 

Bolsonaro also thanked US President Donald Trump and accused Brazil’s judicial system of being politicised. He denied wrongdoing in the criminal investigations involving him and described the allegations as politically motivated.

His arrival in Miami followed a period of uncertainty over his whereabouts after reports emerged that he had left Brazil following his defeat in the presidential election.

According to the BBC, Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports amid investigations, including a money-laundering probe. His passports were subsequently cancelled after he failed to meet the deadline to hand them over. 

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Reports indicated that Bolsonaro and his family travelled through Argentina and Ecuador before arriving at Opa-locka Executive Airport near Miami on Wednesday morning.

Al Jazeera reported that Argentine immigration authorities confirmed the family entered Argentina late on Tuesday before boarding a private aircraft that later travelled to Miami via Ecuador. 

US President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration had allowed Bolsonaro to enter the country while declining to comment in detail on the allegations raised by the Brazilian politician. 

Bolsonaro has also questioned the outcome of the election, making allegations of electoral fraud without providing evidence, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera. 

His departure comes amid investigations into alleged financial misconduct.

The BBC reported that he faces two investigations before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, including one concerning an alleged transfer of funds from Banco Master to a film about his father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He has, however, denied wrongdoing.