Senator Flavio Bolsonaro flees Brazil to the US amid money laundering investigation

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has fled to the United States following his defeat in the presidential elections and the initiation of a money laundering investigation. On October 26, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the senator to surrender his passports, a directive with which he failed to comply by the established deadline. Consequently, authorities canceled his travel documents.

Despite the judicial order and the ongoing probe, which he denies, Bolsonaro departed Brazil with his wife and two daughters. According to reports from the Argentine immigration authorities and Reuters, the family traveled through northern Argentina before taking a private jet from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Miami. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the departure as shameful, arguing that the senator should have stayed to prove his innocence. While initial rumors suggested an attempt to hide, it was confirmed that the U.S. government intends to grant the senator and his family visas. The incident has caused significant political friction, as legal authorities now face complications in their efforts to address the senator's legal status while he is outside the country.