By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro landed in Miami on Wednesday with his family after refusing to concede the election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The 45-year-old senator departed Brazil amid a Supreme Court investigation into alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion, and after the court ordered him to surrender his passports.
Flight Through Argentina and Ecuador
Argentina's migration authority confirmed Bolsonaro entered the country at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday via the Tancredo Neves International Bridge alongside his wife Fernanda Antunes Figueira Bolsonaro and daughters Carolina and Luiza. They possessed valid travel documentation and faced no legal impediments, the authority stated on X. The family then boarded a private charter flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador, before continuing to Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport, arriving around 9:30 a.m. EST Wednesday.
Diplomatic Tensions and U.S. Reception
The move risks diplomatic friction between Lula and Argentine President Javier Milei, a Trump ally who supported Bolsonaro's campaign. U.S. President Donald Trump approved the family's entry, calling them "fine people" and questioning the election's legitimacy without elaboration. World leaders and the Organization of American States endorsed Lula's victory, decided by about 4.4 million votes in the runoff.
Lula Condemns Departure
Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, called Bolsonaro's exit "shameful" and said he regretted the senator left instead of staying to prove the accusations false. Bolsonaro ally Paulo Figueiredo stated the family is "well, in security and resting" and announced a Thursday press conference in Miami. Brazil's government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
