By Fatma Younis
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro landed in Miami on Wednesday after his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, lost the country's presidential election on Sunday. The arrival ends days of confusion over the senator's whereabouts following conflicting reports that he had travelled to Argentina or already entered the United States.
Confusion over whereabouts
Speculation began when an Argentine news site reported that Flávio Bolsonaro had crossed into Argentina and boarded a private plane bound for the US. Brazilian police checked border crossings but found no evidence of his departure, while Argentine officials said they had no record of his entry. The uncertainty deepened when he failed to surrender his passport within a 24-hour deadline set by Brazilian authorities, who then cancelled the document.
US visas granted
The US State Department confirmed it would issue visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family, who travelled with him. Multiple sources close to the family told the BBC that the senator had arrived in Miami, and flight tracking data verified a private jet journey from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and then to Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. Photographers captured his disembarkation as aides shielded him with umbrellas.
Family's US connections
Flávio Bolsonaro is not the first family member to seek refuge in the United States. His father, Jair Bolsonaro, travelled to Florida in December 2022 before President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's inauguration and remained there during the January 8 attacks on Brazil's government buildings. His brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, has been living in Texas and lobbied US officials in an attempt to influence their father's coup trial, leading to US sanctions on Brazilian officials.
Ongoing legal probes
The senator faces two investigations before Brazil's Supreme Federal Court. One concerns the transfer of nearly $70 million from private bank Banco Master to a biopic about his father. The other involves alleged money laundering. Flávio Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing. He is set to lose parliamentary immunity on 31 January when his Senate term ends.
