Defeated Senator Flies to Ecuador After U.S. Visa Grant

Flávio Bolsonaro departed Brazil for Argentina on Wednesday night and is traveling to Ecuador, according to Argentine migration officials. The former presidential candidate, his wife, and two daughters crossed the border at 10:50 p.m. at the Tancredo Neves International Bridge. They entered through a checkpoint linking Brazil to Misiones province in Argentina.

The family cleared immigration with valid travel documents and no legal obstacles, the migration authority stated on X. Shortly after clearing control at 11:30 p.m., the group boarded a private charter plane operated by Baires Fly S.A. The flight plan listed Guayaquil, Ecuador, as the destination.

The departure occurred one day after the Trump administration granted U.S. visas to Bolsonaro and his family. This move follows a deadline set by Brazil’s Supreme Court for Bolsonaro to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports. That deadline expired at noon on Tuesday. It remains unclear if he complied, though allies noted late Tuesday that he holds an Italian passport.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who turned 81 on Tuesday, addressed a small crowd outside the presidential residence in Brasilia. He said he lacked precise information on Bolsonaro’s location but confirmed he had left the country. Lula called the departure shameful, arguing Bolsonaro could have stayed to prove the accusations against him were false.

The exit is expected to strain relations between Lula and Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei traveled to Brazil to support Bolsonaro’s campaign. The U.S. president, Donald Trump, said early Wednesday that he would welcome Bolsonaro to the U.S., describing him and his family as fine people. Trump also criticized the election, calling it strange and terrible while stressing he did not endorse the results.

The Organization of American States and global leaders had previously endorsed Lula’s reelection. Lula won the final round by a margin of approximately 4.4 million votes. Bolsonaro was served with the Supreme Court order to surrender his passports on Monday. He disclosed receiving the order outside the home where his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his 2022 loss.

Jair Bolsonaro had previously fled to Florida after his 2022 defeat but returned to Brazil three months later. Neither the Brazilian government nor Bolsonaro’s representatives immediately responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press.