Flavio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian senator and former presidential candidate, has reportedly left Brazil for the United States, according to reports published by international media outlets. The news emerged Tuesday, one day after the conservative politician claimed that Brazilian authorities had ordered him to surrender both his regular and diplomatic passports and barred him from leaving the country. So far, the circumstances surrounding his alleged departure have not been conclusively established.
The case has raised questions about the senator’s whereabouts and the scope of the judicial restrictions he claimed had been imposed on him. The controversy also involves his brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the United States and had suggested that Flávio leave Brazil if he lost the presidential election. Flávio, however, publicly denied any intention of leaving the country in a video in which he said that he w
Flavio Bolsonaro reportedly flees Brazil after passport revocation
According to a report published by Argentine outlet Infobae, Flavio Bolsonaro allegedly crossed the border into Argentina and planned to continue his journey to the United States aboard a private jet. The report said the senator had arrived in Puerto Iguazu, in Argentina’s Misiones province, from where he was expected to depart for the United States.
The report identified the aircraft as a Gulfstream G400, registration number LV-JQW, owned by Argentine company Baires Fly S.A. According to the information released, the company had reportedly requested authorization for a flight carrying four passengers and three crew members, scheduled to depart early Tuesday morning.
However, the details of the alleged trip still require independent confirmation. The main questions are whether the senator actually crossed the border and boarded the aircraft, as well as the circumstances under which he may have done so after claiming he had been barred from leaving Brazil.
The possibility that he has left the country has drawn attention to immigration controls and the enforcement of judicial orders at a time of heightened political tension surrounding the Bolsonaro family.
Investigation Into Alleged Corruption and Passport Revocation
The controversy began Monday, when Flavio posted a video claiming that Brazilian Federal Police officers had stopped him and notified him of a decision requiring him to surrender both passports. According to his account, the measure also barred him from leaving the country.
The senator attributed the decision to Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. According to published reports, the restriction was linked to judicial proceedings involving the lawmaker and investigations into alleged financial irregularities.
Bolsonaro challenged the decision, arguing that it was an attempt to intimidate him. In his statement, he said he would surrender the documents and pursue legal avenues to defend himself. He also denied having considered leaving Brazil.
The senator, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, is currently the subject of several investigations before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court. One examines alleged links to lawyer Willer Tomaz in a money-laundering scheme involving sports betting platforms and possible illicit capital movements.
Investigators are examining, among other evidence, financial connections and a corporate account on which the senator reportedly was listed as an authorized user. Another investigation seeks to determine whether crimes involving corruption, money laundering, and foreign exchange evasion were committed in connection with the financing of Dark Horse, a film about his father. Federal Police are examining funds negotiated with banker Daniel Vorcaro and how the money may have been used.
In addition, Flavio is under investigation for allegedly defaming President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by publicly linking him to criminal activity. The senator denies wrongdoing and maintains that the investigations are politically motivated.
The case has taken on a family and political dimension because of statements by Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the United States and has adopted a confrontational stance toward Brazilian institutions. Before reports emerged about the alleged trip, Flávio’s brother had raised the possibility of him leaving the country if he failed to win the election.