Flavio Bolsonaro Arrives in Miami After Canceled Passports and Election Loss

Four family members descended from a Gulfstream G400 jet at Miami-Opa Locka airport on Wednesday morning, marking the physical departure of Brazilian right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro from his home country. The arrival followed a rapid sequence of events that began late Tuesday when the senator announced he would contest the results of Sunday's presidential election. By that point, he had already rejected a Supreme Court directive to hand over his passports, a move tied to an ongoing money-laundering probe that he denies.

The timeline of his exit compressed sharply over 48 hours. On Monday, Bolsonaro posted on Instagram that he intended to stay in Brazil, promising to surrender his documents and fight what he called an attempt to intimidate him. By late Tuesday, that posture had shifted. He and his wife, along with their two daughters, flew to Argentina. From there, the group took a private jet to Guayaquil, Ecuador, before completing the journey to Florida. The US State Department confirmed it would issue visas to the family.

Legal mechanics enabled the flight despite the canceled Brazilian and diplomatic passports. According to the AFP news agency, Bolsonaro holds Italian citizenship, which provided the necessary travel documents. His senatorial term, which grants him immunity from prosecution, expires in February. That deadline creates a specific window before he becomes fully vulnerable to domestic legal action.

The move echoes the trajectory of his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who also relocated to Florida after the 2022 election. Jair Bolsonaro currently remains in Brazilian custody, facing charges related to a conspiracy to retain power after his defeat. The presence of the next generation in the US adds a new layer to bilateral relations between the two largest economies in the Americas. Tensions had already risen during the campaign when incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of coordinating with the Bolsonaro family. Trump, for his part, described the extension of voting times in Brazil as a "very bad look" and has previously labeled Jair Bolsonaro a victim of judicial persecution.