Flávio Bolsonaro has reportedly fled to the United States after narrowly losing Brazil's presidential election under unusual circumstances and after Brazil's left-wing government demanded he surrender his passports.
Bolsonaro, son of convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, has left Brazil for the U.S., two sources told CNN Tuesday. A U.S. official then seemingly confirmed the report, telling the outlet that Bolsonaro was headed for Florida before stating that his destination was unclear, CNN said.
'Do not recognize these elections.'
Reuters, citing three sources, reported that he had left Brazil for the U.S. One source even said that the Trump administration had granted asylum to Bolsonaro and his immediate family, the outlet reported.
"After months of intense work that has been unfairly thwarted, I am not in the mood to speak to the press," said Paulo Figueiredo, an unofficial family spokesman.
Bolsonaro lost Sunday's runoff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by about 3.6 points after Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin extended voting by two hours, stirring fraud suspicions. Zanin was Lula's personal defense lawyer until Lula put him on the court in 2023.
Lula was previously found guilty of corruption and money-laundering charges. He spent over 550 days in prison before he was freed in 2019. The Supreme Court annulled his convictions in 2021 on jurisdictional grounds.
The elder Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for what some claim was a political hit job. Flávio Bolsonaro also faces allegations of money laundering and other crimes.
"It is impossible to accept the result of the elections under these conditions," Flávio Bolsonaro said Sunday night, vowing to seek annulment.
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Mark Wilson/Getty Images
"Do not recognize these elections," Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio's brother, said in an X video. On Tuesday, Eduardo called reports that his brother had absconded a "lie," CNN reported.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes signed a sealed order the night of the presidential election demanding that Bolsonaro surrender his passports. The order also prohibited Bolsonaro from leaving Brazil.
Federal Police canceled the passports Tuesday amid reports that Bolsonaro had fled the country, according to CNN.
Argentina's Infobae reported that Bolsonaro crossed into the Misiones province to take a private jet, though this report remains unconfirmed. Argentina said it has "no record" of him entering.
“The process is confidential. We do not have any information,” Brazil's Supreme Court told Blaze News when asked about Moraes' passport confiscation order.
The State Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to Blaze News' requests for comment.
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