In short
- Flávio Bolsonaro landed at Opa-locka Executive Airport, north of Miami, at 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
- He crossed into Argentina at 10:50 p.m. on Tuesday over the Tancredo Neves International Bridge, which links Foz do Iguaçu with Puerto Iguazú, with his wife and two daughters.
- Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the cancellation of Flávio Bolsonaro’s Brazilian passports and the surrender of the Italian passport he obtained in 2023.
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Sunday’s runoff with 51.79% of the vote against 48.21% for Flávio Bolsonaro.
- Flávio Bolsonaro is under Supreme Court investigation on suspicion of money laundering and foreign-exchange evasion alongside lawyer Willer Tomaz; both deny wrongdoing.
Flávio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, landed at Opa-locka Executive Airport north of Miami at 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, less than two days after losing Brazil’s presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He reached Florida via Argentina and Ecuador.
Argentina’s immigration agency confirmed at 2 a.m. that Flávio Bolsonaro had entered the country at 10:50 p.m. the previous night, crossing the Tancredo Neves International Bridge that links Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil with Puerto Iguazú in Argentina, with his wife and two daughters. Argentine authorities had denied earlier on Tuesday that he had entered, which was accurate at the time.
How did Flávio Bolsonaro leave Brazil?
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered the cancellation of Flávio Bolsonaro’s Brazilian passports and the surrender of the Italian passport he obtained in 2023. The senator did not hand the documents over before departing, and Brazil cancelled his passports as he left the country.
According to the flight manifest, Flávio Bolsonaro crossed the border on his European passport while his wife and daughters travelled on Brazilian passports. Forty minutes after the crossing the family was aboard a Gulfstream G400 operated by Baires Fly, which had been waiting at Puerto Iguazú airport since Monday. The aircraft took off shortly after midnight for Guayaquil, Ecuador, refuelled and left again half an hour later, according to the newspaper El Universo. Argentina’s immigration agency issued its statement confirming the exit at 2 a.m.
Who issued his US visa?
On Tuesday the administration of US President Donald Trump announced it would issue visas for Flávio Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters. Javier Milei’s government in Argentina, the Bolsonaro family’s closest ally in the region, has not recognised Lula’s victory; asked about the case, it said: “There will be no statement.” Neither Argentina’s presidency nor Baires Fly immediately responded to requests for comment.
Why did Flávio Bolsonaro leave Brazil?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Sunday’s runoff with 51.79% of the vote against 48.21% for Flávio Bolsonaro, after the senator finished ahead in the first round on 4 October, a runoff Lula took with 51.79% as Flávio Bolsonaro refused to concede.
Flávio Bolsonaro did not concede defeat. Hours later he said he had never intended to leave the country and would stay to lead the opposition to Lula. His Senate term expires at the end of the year, and after 24 years in politics he will hold no elected office and lose the legal protections that officeholders have.
What investigation does he face?
Brazil’s Supreme Court is investigating Flávio Bolsonaro on suspicion of money laundering and foreign-exchange evasion alongside his friend Willer Tomaz, a lawyer with business interests in the betting industry. Federal Police investigators suspect the senator is Tomaz’s silent partner. According to Folha de S.Paulo, Flávio Bolsonaro at one point had administrative access to a bank account belonging to a Tomaz company registered in Madeira, and the two men share addresses, travel records and business associates. Both deny any wrongdoing.
What did Donald Trump say about the result?
Speaking to reporters on Monday, less than 24 hours after the vote, the US president questioned the outcome. “It looked like another rigged election, frankly,” Donald Trump said. “I didn’t take sides, but it was a terrible look for the world.” He added: “Elections have to be indisputable, and it looked really bad to me.”
Frequently asked questions
Where did Flávio Bolsonaro land in the United States?
He landed at Opa-locka Executive Airport, north of Miami, at 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, on a flight that originated in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, and stopped in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Why did Brazil cancel Flávio Bolsonaro’s passports?
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the cancellation of his Brazilian passports and the surrender of the Italian passport he obtained in 2023. Flávio Bolsonaro did not hand over the documents before leaving the country.
Did Flávio Bolsonaro accept his election defeat?
No. He did not concede after losing Sunday’s runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by 51.79% to 48.21%, and said hours later that he had never intended to leave Brazil and would lead the opposition.
Who is Willer Tomaz?
Willer Tomaz is a lawyer with business interests in the betting industry and a friend of Flávio Bolsonaro. Brazil’s Supreme Court is investigating the two men on suspicion of money laundering and foreign-exchange evasion; both deny any wrongdoing.
With reporting from feeds.elpais.com.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
