In short
- Flávio Bolsonaro lost Brazil’s presidential run-off to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by 4.4 million votes and has not conceded defeat.
- Bolsonaro published a letter on his X account describing himself as ‘leader of Brazil’; an earlier version calling him ‘the rightful president of Brazil’ was deleted.
- He left Brazil on Tuesday after failing to hand his passports to police under a Supreme Court order issued in a money laundering investigation; he has not been charged in that probe.
- Analysis by BBC Brazil and BBC Verify found around 34,000 people voted during the extended polling hours, against a margin of 4.4 million votes.
- The Trump administration granted visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family without saying what kind of visas they were.
Brazil’s defeated presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro has called himself “leader of Brazil” in a letter posted on his X account after leaving the country for the United States, alleging electoral fraud without offering evidence and saying he will lead the opposition from abroad.
What does the letter say?
Bolsonaro opens the letter with the words: “I address the Brazilian people and the international community as the leader of Brazil”. A previous version, later deleted, described him as “the rightful president of Brazil”. Both versions repeat the claim he first made on election night, that an extension of polling hours on Sunday benefited his rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which he describes as “an electoral fraud unfolding before my eyes”. He closes by writing: “I left Brazil but I haven’t abandoned Brazilians”.
Who won Brazil’s election?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s left-wing rival, won Sunday’s run-off by a margin of 4.4 million votes, a fourth-term victory recorded at 51.79% that Flávio Bolsonaro is contesting. Bolsonaro has not conceded defeat.
Why did Flávio Bolsonaro leave Brazil?
Bolsonaro left Brazil on Tuesday after failing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports, issued as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering. He has not been charged in that investigation and denies any wrongdoing, calling it a “politically-motivated witch hunt”. He crossed the land border into Argentina and flew on to Florida, with a brief refuelling stop in Ecuador, landing in Miami after leaving Brazil via Argentina. Lula described the departure as “a shameful act”. It is not yet clear where Bolsonaro intends to stay or for how long, or how he plans to lead the opposition from the US.
Is there evidence of electoral fraud?
The extension of polling hours was requested by both the Lula and Bolsonaro campaign teams, and the head of Brazil’s electoral authority has said the vote proceeded normally and in full accordance with the country’s laws and constitution. An analysis of election data by BBC Brazil and BBC Verify found that around 34,000 people voted during the extended hours, far fewer than the 4.4 million votes that separated the two candidates. Bolsonaro’s campaign manager, Rogério Marinho, said on Wednesday that “there is no evidence” of the fraud his candidate alleges, and Bolsonaro’s party recognised the election result.
What has the US said?
The Trump administration provided visas for Flávio Bolsonaro and his family but did not say what kind they were. US President Donald Trump did not explicitly endorse Bolsonaro before the vote, told reporters he “won’t get involved” when asked about the fraud allegations, and on Thursday said “the election was a very great embarrassment to the people of Brazil”. Earlier in the week he had said it “looked like another rigged election”, without providing evidence, after Lula’s victory dented Trump’s plan for a right-leaning Latin America. Bolsonaro’s younger brother, Eduardo, has been in self-imposed exile in the US since March 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Brazil’s 2026 presidential election?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the run-off against Flávio Bolsonaro by a margin of 4.4 million votes. Bolsonaro has not conceded and alleges electoral fraud without providing evidence.
Why did Flávio Bolsonaro’s passports matter?
A Supreme Court order, issued as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering, required him to surrender his passports to police. He left Brazil without complying, crossing into Argentina and flying on to Florida.
Did extended polling hours change the result?
Both campaigns requested the extension, and Brazil’s electoral authority said voting proceeded normally. BBC Brazil and BBC Verify found around 34,000 people voted during the extended hours, against a 4.4 million-vote margin.
Where is Flávio Bolsonaro now?
He travelled to the United States, landing in Miami after crossing into Argentina and making a refuelling stop in Ecuador. It is not clear where he intends to stay or for how long.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
