Flávio Bolsonaro Departs Brazil After Passport Deadline Missed

Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old Brazilian senator, departed for the United States on Tuesday, a day after his deadline to surrender his passports expired. The departure followed his loss in Sunday’s presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Multiple media reports confirmed the travel, though a spokesperson for Bolsonaro did not respond to requests for comment regarding the move.

The political situation intensified on Monday when Bolsonaro was served with a sealed Supreme Court order demanding he turn in his regular and diplomatic passports. The deadline for compliance passed at noon Tuesday. At the time of service, Bolsonaro stated he was outside the residence of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest. The order was issued Sunday, the same day as the election.

Bolsonaro has not conceded defeat and has raised unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. He initially sought to annul the results after voting delays at polling places led to a two-hour extension. On Monday, he urged the electoral court to investigate fraud and nullify the candidacies of Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. The court has never taken such action before. To overturn the result, Bolsonaro must present evidence affecting Lula’s 4.4 million-vote margin before the results are certified on December 18.

Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, secured more than 64 million votes. Bolsonaro received fewer than 60 million, a margin of nearly 4 percent. Despite these numbers, Bolsonaro posted a video on Monday asserting he had no plans to leave Brazil. He stated he was working to organize opposition among congressional colleagues. His eight-year term as a senator ends on January 31, 2027, at which point he will also lose special jurisdiction at the Supreme Court.

Bolsonaro faces two active investigations by Brazil’s Supreme Court for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. In one case, he is accused of using a sports betting company to launder fraudulent deductions from government pensions. In the other, he is accused of accepting millions of dollars from a disgraced banker. He has denied wrongdoing in both instances. Documents show prosecutors suspect the banker’s funds covered his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro’s expenses and promoted Flávio’s political agenda with the Trump administration.

Brazilian media outlets reported that allies struggled to reach Bolsonaro after his departure. Reporters gathered at his home in Brasilia, but he did not appear. The Ministry of Security of Argentina denied reports that he had entered the country. Paulo Figueiredo, a close ally living in the United States, declined to answer directly about his whereabouts. Figueiredo said, “At this moment, following months of intense work that were unfairly thwarted, I have no desire to speak with the press.”

The next key date for the election is December 18, when the results are scheduled for certification. Until then, the electoral court will review any challenges submitted by Bolsonaro. His brother Eduardo, who lives in Texas, had publicly encouraged Flávio to leave Brazil if he lost the vote.