Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has left Brazil for the United States following his defeat in Sunday's presidential runoff election, three sources reported on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. A senior U.S. administration official confirmed that the State Department will issue entry visas to Bolsonaro and his family. The departure occurred after a Brazilian Supreme Court order issued Monday gave Bolsonaro 24 hours to surrender his passports and barred him from leaving the country as part of a money-laundering investigation.
The election results, finalized on October 25, 2026, showed incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva winning with approximately 64.2 million votes (51%) to Bolsonaro’s 59.8 million (48%). While Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party acknowledged the victory on Monday, Bolsonaro himself has not officially conceded, citing alleged voter irregularities. The Supreme Court cited his "significant financial resources" and flight risk as the basis for the passport seizure. On Monday, Bolsonaro denied plans to flee, calling the court order an attempt at intimidation.
By Tuesday afternoon, three sources confirmed Bolsonaro had left Brazil, with one source stating he had landed in Florida. A senior Federal Police official reported that the senator did not depart through any regular migration point. The U.S. government's decision to grant visas follows previous comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was a victim of judicial persecution. On Monday, Trump referred to the Brazilian election as "rigged," though he provided no evidence for the claim.
The legal impact centers on the roughly 60 million voters who supported Bolsonaro and the judicial system currently investigating him for money laundering and tax evasion. Because Bolsonaro's Senate term ends in February 2027, he will lose his current immunity from prosecution at that time. If he remains in the United States, it may complicate the Brazilian judiciary's ability to proceed with its investigation. A similar precedent exists with his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who traveled to the U.S. in 2022 before eventually returning to Brazil, where he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in a coup attempt.
What happens next depends on whether the Brazilian government issues formal extradition requests or if Bolsonaro seeks asylum in the U.S. President Lula, speaking on his 81st birthday on October 27, 2026, stated that Bolsonaro should have stayed in Brazil to prove his innocence. While the U.S. has agreed to issue the visas, the specific status under which Bolsonaro and his family will remain in the country is not yet public. Bolsonaro’s lawyers and the U.S. Embassy in Brazil have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding his long-term plans or specific location.