Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro leaves country after election defeat as US says it will grant visas

A senior US State Department official has said the Trump administration will issue visas to Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro and his family, after reports that he left Brazil following his defeat in the presidential election. The development comes amid a widening post-election dispute involving one of Brazil's most prominent political figures. It also follows a court order requiring him to hand over his passports in a money-laundering probe.

Bolsonaro had said on Monday that he would remain in Brazil and lead the opposition, but reports later said he had fled the country. His party had already said it accepted the election result, which he lost by more than 4.4 million votes. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing in the separate legal case and has previously refused to acknowledge the election outcome.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the move as shameful, saying the Bolsonaro family had long courted US interference in Brazilian affairs for political gain. The comments underline how the case has moved beyond domestic politics and into the diplomatic arena. The US visa decision adds another layer to an already sensitive dispute over the conduct of a senior opposition figure and the response of foreign officials.

The immediate legal backdrop is the Supreme Court order issued one day earlier, which required Bolsonaro to surrender his passports as part of the money-laundering investigation. That order increased pressure on him at a moment when his political standing was already weakened by the election loss. The case also reflects the broader scrutiny facing the Bolsonaro family after years of political confrontation in Brazil.

The election result itself was decisive, and no evidence has emerged that the vote was marred by fraud. Critics had pointed to a last-minute extension of polling hours, but the eventual victory for Lula was still clear. Donald Trump, meanwhile, cast doubt on the result and described it as looking like another rigged election, despite the lack of evidence for malfeasance.

What remains unclear is where Bolsonaro is now and whether he will comply with the court order to surrender his passports. It is also not known whether the visa offer will lead to an immediate departure to the United States or whether further legal steps will follow in Brazil. The next developments are likely to depend on the court case, the response from Bolsonaro, and any further statements from US officials.

A senior US State Department official has said the Trump administration will issue visas to Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro and his family, after reports that he left Brazil following his defeat in the presidential election. The development comes amid a widening post-election dispute involving one of Brazil's most prominent political figures. It also follows a court order requiring him to hand over his passports in a money-laundering probe.

Bolsonaro had said on Monday that he would remain in Brazil and lead the opposition, but reports later said he had fled the country. His party had already said it accepted the election result, which he lost by more than 4.4 million votes. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing in the separate legal case and has previously refused to acknowledge the election outcome.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the move as shameful, saying the Bolsonaro family had long courted US interference in Brazilian affairs for political gain. The comments underline how the case has moved beyond domestic politics and into the diplomatic arena. The US visa decision adds another layer to an already sensitive dispute over the conduct of a senior opposition figure and the response of foreign officials.

The immediate legal backdrop is the Supreme Court order issued one day earlier, which required Bolsonaro to surrender his passports as part of the money-laundering investigation. That order increased pressure on him at a moment when his political standing was already weakened by the election loss. The case also reflects the broader scrutiny facing the Bolsonaro family after years of political confrontation in Brazil.

The election result itself was decisive, and no evidence has emerged that the vote was marred by fraud. Critics had pointed to a last-minute extension of polling hours, but the eventual victory for Lula was still clear. Donald Trump, meanwhile, cast doubt on the result and described it as looking like another rigged election, despite the lack of evidence for malfeasance.

What remains unclear is where Bolsonaro is now and whether he will comply with the court order to surrender his passports. It is also not known whether the visa offer will lead to an immediate departure to the United States or whether further legal steps will follow in Brazil. The next developments are likely to depend on the court case, the response from Bolsonaro, and any further statements from US officials.

Brazilian police have cancelled the passports of Flavio Bolsonaro after his defeat in the presidential election, as questions grew over his whereabouts. The move came days after he lost to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the second round of voting. Reports about whether he had left the country were still unconfirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

A police source said there was no formal record of Bolsonaro leaving Brazil. He had said in a video posted on social media on Monday afternoon that he had been banned from leaving the country and ordered to surrender his passports. He said he would comply with the order, but by Tuesday afternoon he had not done so.

Argentina's security ministry and migration authorities also denied reports that he had entered the neighbouring country. The passport cancellation adds to the legal pressure surrounding Bolsonaro, who is under scrutiny in several cases. The supporting material says he is set to lose parliamentary immunity as his legal problems deepen.

It also links the passport issue to comments made by his US-based brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who had suggested before the election that he would support his brother leaving the country if he lost. The case has become part of the wider post-election fallout around Bolsonaro's refusal to accept defeat. The development matters because it involves one of Brazil's most prominent political figures at a sensitive moment after a national election.

Bolsonaro's defeat has already reshaped the political balance, with his party and allies accepting the result while he has continued to challenge it. The uncertainty over his location has also raised questions about possible travel plans and the next steps in the legal cases he faces. In Brazil, disputes involving election outcomes and legal scrutiny of senior politicians can quickly become politically significant.

The row also comes against the backdrop of Bolsonaro's broader legal troubles, including a corruption probe linked to the financing of the biopic Dark Horse about his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro. The supporting material says he is politically isolated after refusing to accept the result, and that his parliamentary immunity is expected to end. That would leave him more exposed to legal action at a time when his public position appears weakened.

The situation has also drawn attention because of conflicting reports about whether he was travelling abroad. What remains unclear is where Bolsonaro is now and whether he will comply fully with the order to surrender his passports. It is also not clear whether any formal departure attempt was made or whether the reports of travel were mistaken.

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