Flávio Bolsonaro, the Brazilian senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, departed Brazil after his recent defeat in the presidential runoff against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Following his loss on Sunday, his private jet arrived at Miami-Opa Locka executive airport, where he was escorted away by police without making any comments. A press conference is anticipated on either Wednesday or Thursday.
A senior official from the US State Department indicated that the Bolsonaro family would receive US visas, with President Donald Trump mentioning Tuesday night that he would approve their relocation.
Bolsonaro is currently implicated in at least two criminal investigations, one of which involves allegations of his involvement in a money laundering scheme estimated at around $905 million tied to betting companies. After the election results, the Federal Police requested the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to suspend his passports, fearing he would flee. Justice Alexandre de Moraes mandated that Bolsonaro submit both his civilian and diplomatic passports while prohibiting him from leaving Brazil. As he failed to comply by 11 a.m. on Tuesday, police actions resulted in the cancellation of his passports.
Authorities suspect Bolsonaro co-owned betting enterprises alongside attorney Willer Tomaz, who is also under investigation. Tomaz owns Rede Loto, which operates BestBet among other brands licensed in Rio de Janeiro. Reports from Piauí magazine have suggested that Bolsonaro was a hidden partner in these ventures.
Concerns about the operations at BestBet raised eyebrows, as data indicated that over nearly two years, the company generated just over BRL360,000 ($67,275)—less than a tenth of its BRL5 million state license cost—and had not conducted any marketing. In contrast, Tomaz reportedly placed more than BRL10 billion in sports bets through Blaze, leading Brazil’s betting regulator, the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), to name him the largest gambler in the country. Investigators have asserted that both individuals had access to a Santander bank account, a claim they deny, though a message from Tomaz requesting the removal of Bolsonaro's account access was cited by authorities.
After disappearing for over a day following the election, Bolsonaro was confirmed to have crossed into Argentina by land on Tuesday night, according to Argentine migration authorities. He supposedly boarded the jet at Puerto Iguazú at around 11:30 p.m. with his family. The flight path took the jet to Guayaquil, Ecuador, reportedly avoiding Brazilian airspace before heading to Miami.
Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that arrangements for this escape were organized weeks ahead in case of a defeat, led by Bolsonaro's brother Eduardo, who resides in voluntary exile in the US. This has raised criticisms against the Federal Police for allowing his departure.
Lula described Bolsonaro's flight as “shameful.” Despite Bolsonaro's loss, the ongoing cases against him remain with the Supreme Court due to a ruling that allows criminal accusations linked to a politician’s time in office to persist after their departure. A victory in the election could have shielded him, as Brazil’s Constitution prohibits prosecuting a sitting president for actions taken outside of their term.
