Flavio Bolsonaro Flees Brazil to Argentina, Heads to Miami
The former senator crossed the border with his family after the US granted visas, sparking diplomatic friction between Brasilia and Buenos Aires.
By Zoe Ruiz ·
Former Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro left his home country on Wednesday night, traveling through Argentina with his wife and two daughters. The move follows the US government's decision to issue visas to the 45-year-old politician and his family. The flight path indicates a destination in Miami, Florida.
Argentina's migration authority reported that the group crossed the Tancredo Neves International Bridge at 10:50 p.m. The bridge connects Brazil with the Argentine province of Misiones. Officials stated the family entered with valid travel documents and faced no legal barriers to entry. By 11:30 p.m., they boarded a private charter plane operated by Baires Fly S.A. The aircraft was scheduled to fly to Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the plane landing in Guayaquil around 4:00 a.m. It departed minutes later for Opa Locka Airport in Miami. It remained unclear if the former senator was on board during the final leg of the journey. The Brazilian Supreme Court had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his ordinary and diplomatic passports by noon on Tuesday.
Bolsonaro is currently under investigation by the Brazilian Supreme Court for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. The court is examining two separate cases involving a sports betting company and payments from a disgraced banker. His eight-year term as a senator expires on January 31, 2027. This date marks the end of his special legal immunity from the high court.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was reelected by a margin of 4.4 million votes, commented on the departure on Wednesday. Speaking to supporters outside the presidential residence in Brasilia, Lula said he lacked precise information on Bolsonaro's location. He described the departure as shameful, noting that Bolsonaro could have stayed to prove the accusations false.
The exit may strain relations between Brazil and Argentina. President Javier Milei of Argentina traveled to Brazil to campaign for Bolsonaro during the election. Argentine legislator Marcela Pagano filed a lawsuit in Puerto Iguazú on Tuesday. She requested an investigation into potential human trafficking and abuse of authority regarding the senator's entry. Milei's spokesperson, Adrian Ravier, stated on Tuesday that there was no asylum request for Bolsonaro.
US President Donald Trump welcomed the potential arrival of Bolsonaro in the United States. Speaking at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump called the politician and his family good people. He described the Brazilian elections as strange and said he did not support the final results. World leaders and the Organization of American States had previously validated Lula's victory.
Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-month sentence of house arrest in Brazil. The elder Bolsonaro fled to Florida after losing the 2022 election but returned to Brazil three months later. Neither the Brazilian government nor Bolsonaro's representatives responded to requests for comment on Wednesday.
Source: WSCV
