Flavio Bolsonaro lands in the US and declares himself Brazil's 'leader'
Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami with his family without conceding Sunday's election to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The US State Department has said it will grant him and his family visas.
Flavio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian right-wing senator and presidential candidate, arrived in Miami, Florida, with his family on Wednesday and declared himself the rightful "leader" of Brazil. He left the country after Brazil's Supreme Court asked him to hand over his passports so that he could not leave. Bolsonaro lost Sunday's presidential election to incumbent left-wing President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, but has not conceded and alleges irregularities.
Assessment of the vote
Bolsonaro's own party has acknowledged the results, and international observers said the vote was fair. The head of Brazil's electoral authority said on Wednesday that voting proceeded normally and fully in line with the country's laws and constitution.
In an initial open letter on X, Bolsonaro called himself the "elected president." He deleted it and posted a revised letter saying he was the "leader," and that the "criminals who stole Brazil's election" belong to a criminal organization that has established a tyranny. He also addressed his "60 million voters."
Bolsonaro is under investigation by the Supreme Court over alleged financial crimes. He describes the probes as a political witch hunt against his family by left-leaning justices.
The route to Miami
Bolsonaro, his wife and two daughters were seen leaving a Gulfstream G400 plane and entering Miami-Opa Locka airport on Wednesday morning. The family first flew to Argentina late on Tuesday, then took a private jet to Guayaquil in Ecuador, and continued to Miami. On Monday he had said on Instagram that he did not intend to leave and would hand over his passports. According to AFP, he also holds Italian citizenship, which allowed him to travel even though his Brazilian and diplomatic passports were cancelled. He will lose his immunity from prosecution in February, when his Senate term ends.
US-Brazil relations
His arrival could deepen a rift between the two most populous countries in the Americas. During the campaign, Lula accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of colluding with the Bolsonaro family. After the vote, Trump said extending voting times was a "very bad look." Asked about Bolsonaro's comments at Joint Base Andrews, he declined to comment, repeating that it was "a very strange election." Bolsonaro's father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, is in jail in Brazil on charges of leading a conspiracy to stay in power despite losing the 2022 election.
