On Sunday evening, Bolsonaro posted a video from Brasília, refusing to accept Lula’s victory and accusing the Supreme Court of fraud. He demanded a court annulment before the next parliamentary session. His remarks came after the court’s decision to cancel his diplomatic passports.
Brazilian police said they had no record of Bolsonaro leaving the country, even as the Supreme Court barred him from travel. The court had revoked his diplomatic passports, citing ongoing investigations, but Bolsonaro retained a valid Italian passport. He used that passport to cross the Tancredo Neves International Bridge into Argentina on Wednesday.
From Argentina, a private jet carrying Bolsonaro and his family refueled in Ecuador’s Guayaquil before heading to Miami’s Opa‑Locka airport. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection database lists his arrival under a cancelled diplomatic passport, a loophole that has drawn scrutiny. Trump’s spokesperson later confirmed the U.S. allowed the former candidate to enter.
Bolsonaro has vowed to establish a political base in exile, according to a Wall Street Journal report, and has already begun drafting a platform. He claims the election was stolen, citing a supposed 10‑million vote discrepancy between rounds. Brazilian lawmakers have warned that the ex‑candidate’s flight could jeopardise the country’s democratic institutions.
The Brazilian police are investigating his failure to surrender passports but have not yet charged him with any crime. The next step will be a court hearing in Brasília to determine whether his flight constitutes an escape from legal scrutiny.