Flávio Bolsonaro arrives in Miami after Brazil election defeat
After losing Brazil’s runoff, Flávio Bolsonaro is in Miami as passport and election challenges remain unresolved.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami with his wife and two daughters days after his presidential runoff loss, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera. The Flavio Bolsonaro election defeat leaves his immediate plans uncertain: the US State Department said it would issue visas to the family, but the BBC reported that his final destination and the length of his stay in the United States were not known.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the October runoff with 51.8% of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 48.2%, a margin of more than 4.4 million votes, Al Jazeera reported. Bolsonaro has not conceded, while his Liberal Party has recognised the result.
What happens next for Flávio Bolsonaro after his election defeat?
The senator faces unresolved legal matters in Brazil. Al Jazeera reported that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered him to hand over his regular and diplomatic passports after regarding him as a flight risk in an investigation involving alleged money laundering and currency evasion.
Reuters reported that Bolsonaro missed the deadline to surrender the documents and that they were subsequently cancelled. The BBC said the cancellation was linked to an ongoing criminal investigation and reported that Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing. It also reported that two investigations involving him were pending before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.
There is no indication in the available reporting that a US visa settles those Brazilian proceedings or establishes how long Bolsonaro will remain abroad. Bolsonaro said his trip was intended to protect his family, according to the BBC.
Bolsonaro disputes the vote result
After the result, Bolsonaro said he would seek to have the election annulled and later alleged electoral fraud, according to Al Jazeera and the BBC. Reuters reported that, after reaching the United States, he described himself as Brazil’s rightful leader and alleged an electoral coup.
The reports did not present evidence substantiating those allegations. Bolsonaro pointed to a Supreme Court decision to extend polling by two hours because of transport shortages and adverse weather, Al Jazeera reported. Fewer than 35,000 votes were recorded during that extension, compared with Lula’s margin of more than 4.4 million votes. The BBC reported that the president of Brazil’s top electoral court said the extension did not affect either the count or the outcome.
Who could lead Brazil’s right?
The election has not produced a settled answer on leadership of Brazil’s right. Paulo Roberto de Souza of the Democracy in Check Institute told Al Jazeera that Bolsonaro’s departure could lead to a contest for influence among conservatives.
De Souza identified São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas as a central figure in a possible reorganisation of the right. De Freitas campaigned with Bolsonaro and won re-election in the first round, Al Jazeera reported. The analyst said he considered it unlikely that a Bolsonaro family member would be on a presidential ticket in 2030, though that is an assessment rather than an established outcome.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.