Former presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro said that he left Brazil for the United States to escape “persecution” in his country.
Bolsonaro, who lost the run-off in the presidential elections on Sunday to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, secretly left Brazil on Tuesday and arrived in the US state of Florida on a private plane on Wednesday, passing through Argentina and Ecuador.
The Brazilian senator said during a live broadcast on the Instagram platform yesterday (Friday), in which he discussed his decision to leave, that “the persecution began much earlier than I imagined,” noting that his Brazilian passports were canceled as part of an investigation related to money laundering.
In the video clip, he recounted how the police informed him, on Monday, that his passports had been canceled while he was heading to visit his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest.
He said: “He told me with tears in his eyes: You know what they are seeking behind this, don’t you?”, adding: “I told him: Dad...the Nan knows what I should do.”
Although he did not provide details about how he left the country, he stated that he made the decision with his wife “without anyone’s knowledge,” and urged people not to “point the finger at anyone,” according to what Agence France-Presse reported.
Both US President Donald Trump and his Argentine counterpart, Javier Milley, are facing pressure to clarify the extent of the United States and Argentina's involvement in the senator's escape.
Flavio Bolsonaro said: “I did not leave Brazil; Rather, I left for Brazil,” alleging that Supreme Court Judge Alexander de Moraes had brought false accusations against him.
He also pointed out that violations occurred during the replay round, likening the matter to “goals scored with a hand touch” that were not canceled despite the presence of video assistant referee technology, without clarifying the nature of the violations.
He also predicted that the Brazilian economy would witness a “collapse” under Lula’s rule, expressing his willingness to run for president again, explaining: “I am not talking about the year 2030, but rather I am talking about what comes before that.”
Brazil summoned the representative of the Argentine embassy in Brasilia to “provide clarifications,” after the losing senator, Flavio Bolsonaro, fled to the United States via Argentina, according to what Agence France-Presse reported, citing a diplomatic source, on Friday.
The source explained that the meeting took place on Thursday, referring to a “routine procedure.”
Bolsonaro (45 years old) was defeated in the second round of the presidential elections by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The son of the far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro, arrived in Florida on Wednesday, after a trip through Argentina and Ecuador.
The Brazilian judiciary had canceled his passports as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering.
Bolsonaro did not acknowledge his defeat, citing “electoral fraud,” despite his camp and the judiciary denying this matter. He says he is leading the opposition from his exile in the United States.
Argentine immigration authorities reported that Flavio Bolsonaro boarded a private plane on Tuesday evening in Puerto Iguazu (northeast), 40 minutes after entering Argentina by land via the neighboring Brazilian border. A senior Argentine government official denied any irregularities in his crossing.
Several months ago, Brasilia and Buenos Aires exchanged summons of their ambassadors against the backdrop of a diplomatic incident represented by insults directed at Lula by Argentine President Javier Mele.
Milley is an ally of US President Donald Trump, who said Thursday that Sunday's elections were "a disgrace to the Brazilian people," adding that he did not "take sides" during the campaign at the request of his Brazilian counterpart.
