Photo: Andressa Anholete / Agência Senado / Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump personally approved allowing Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to enter the United States after his defeat in Brazil's presidential election, a Trump adviser told CNN, even as a Brazilian Supreme Court justice had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports within 24 hours.
Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, lost Sunday's presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Within days, he had left Brazil for the United States, according to CNN, which reported on Tuesday afternoon that he had arrived in the country. It remains unclear where exactly he landed.
What CNN and Brazilian outlets reported
According to CNN, Trump administration officials were aware on Monday that Bolsonaro had roughly 24 hours to surrender his passport under an order from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and made clear to the defeated candidate that he would be allowed to enter the United States. Two US officials told CNN that visas were being issued to Bolsonaro and his family.
Brazilian outlet Bahia Notícias reported that Bolsonaro arrived in the United States at around 4:20 p.m. accompanied by his wife, Fernanda, and their two daughters, and that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was involved in facilitating his departure. The outlet also reported that a White House official confirmed to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo that Washington was aware of the trip and would grant visas to the family.
Brazil's Federal Police cancelled Bolsonaro's passports after he failed to surrender them, CNN's Brazilian affiliate reported. Argentine news outlet Infobae had earlier reported that Bolsonaro left Brazil via Argentina, but the Argentine government said it had "no record of Flávio Bolsonaro entering" the country.
Why Bolsonaro left Brazil
A Brazilian source close to Bolsonaro told CNN that the senator had feared arrest. He is under investigation by Brazil's highest court over alleged acts of corruption, money laundering and currency evasion, CNN reported. In a video posted on Instagram on Monday, Bolsonaro denied intending to flee the country.
His departure followed a turbulent post-election period. Bolsonaro initially rejected the runoff outcome as unacceptable and pledged legal action, before his party accepted the result. The Supreme Court's passport order on Monday set a 24-hour deadline for him to hand over his travel documents.
What is still unconfirmed
Several key details remain unconfirmed. It is unclear whether Trump and Bolsonaro spoke directly by phone before the senator left Brazil, CNN reported, and the exact place where he landed in the United States has not been confirmed. The account of Trump's approval rests on a Trump adviser and US officials speaking to CNN, and on Brazilian reporting citing officials, rather than on a public announcement from the White House.
For now, the episode adds a new diplomatic wrinkle to the aftermath of Brazil's election: a defeated, Trump-aligned candidate, facing a court-ordered passport surrender at home, was allowed into the United States with Washington's apparent blessing.
Sources: CNN (Trump adviser's account, US officials on visas, arrival in the US, passport cancellation by Federal Police, investigation details, denial of flight intent); Tribune India, citing ANI (Rubio's reported role, arrival time and family accompaniment, White House official's confirmation to Folha de S. Paulo); Bahia Notícias reporting via Tribune India. Claims about the approval and facilitation of the trip are attributed to the officials and outlets cited, not to a public White House statement.