Flavio Bolsonaro est aux États-Unis, après avoir fui le Brésil
After a journey via Argentina and Ecuador, the man who saw himself following in the footsteps of his father, Jair Bolsonaro, descended the steps of the plane that was transporting him alongside members of his family around 1:30 PM GMT at Opa-Locka Airport, near Miami, Florida.
He and his family were granted visas by the administration of US President Donald Trump, an ally of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.
Flavio Bolsonaro lost Sunday's second round of the election to the outgoing left-wing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and is under several investigations in Brazil, including for alleged corruption and money laundering.
The intentions and precise location of the conservative senator had been the subject of intense speculation for more than 24 hours.
Upon his arrival on Wednesday, he was seen entering a building at the airport. The Bolsonaros' final destination was not immediately known.
On Tuesday night, Argentine authorities stated on X that Flavio Bolsonaro had crossed the land border between Brazil and Argentina "with valid travel documents, without any legal obstacles".
The National Directorate of Migration also stated that he had boarded a private plane in Argentina, chartered by the company Baires Fly SA, "bound for the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador".
An aircraft matching this description and having taken off from Puerto Iguazu, in northeastern Argentina, made a brief stop and refueled at an airport in this Ecuadorian city, AFP journalists on the scene observed, before departing again.
Flavio Bolsonaro has still not acknowledged his defeat in the second round against Lula, who was re-elected on Sunday with 52% of the vote, to everyone's surprise after a difficult first round.
He had promised on Monday to comply with a court order that required him to hand over his passports to the authorities.
But he did not comply, and his documents were revoked on Tuesday, a police source told AFP, including the diplomatic passport he held as a member of parliament. He has also held Italian citizenship since 2023, according to a document from the Italian Parliament seen by AFP.
The 45-year-old man is suspected of corruption and money laundering in connection with the financing of a film about his father, who is currently under house arrest for attempting a coup. He denies any wrongdoing.
Lula said on Tuesday that Flavio Bolsonaro's flight from Brazil would be "shameful".
"Brazil is his second homeland. His first is to lick the boots of the United States," he railed during the celebration of his 81st birthday in Brasilia.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, brother of Flavio and former Brazilian congressman, is based in the United States, where he is in contact with the Trump administration.
Last week, he stated on an American podcast that he was in favor of his brother leaving Brazil in the event of defeat, due to the investigations targeting him.
Donald Trump did not openly support Flavio Bolsonaro during the campaign, but he received him at the White House in May.
The US president on Monday denounced, without evidence, "rigged" elections in Brazil.
On the same day, Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son asserted that he had "never considered leaving the country." He affirmed that he would lead the opposition to Lula, whose re-election his party ultimately recognized.
On the evening of his defeat, the candidate announced that he would request the annulment of the election due to alleged irregularities.
His father, the former president (2019-2022), is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest for trying to cling to power after his 2022 electoral defeat to Lula.
Like his son, he had not acknowledged his defeat. He had left for the United States on the eve of his rival's inauguration, returning to Brazil after three months.
Commentaires (13)
Je n'aime pas Trump qui est du même tonneau et en plus raciste, nationaliste, suprémaciste, masculiniste, survivaliste et complotiste.... à dégager ces gens comme Poutine le fou et les dictateurs nord coréen et chinois...
Vive la liberté !
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