Did Donald Trump and Javier Milei help Flavio Bolsonaro escape Brazil? Senator's secret flight to Florida sparks political controversy

US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei came under growing pressure on Friday to clarify their countries' involvement in helping Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro leave Brazil after authorities cancelled his passports. The 45-year-old senator fled Brazil two days after losing Sunday's presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro had been instructed to surrender all his passports amid an ongoing investigation into suspected money-laundering. However, he managed to leave the country through a covert operation involving Argentina and Ecuador before arriving in Florida on Wednesday, where he declared himself the rightful ‘leader’ of Brazil. Bolsonaro refused to accept defeat after the election, a result that came as a surprise after he had won the first round and was considered a narrow favourite.

According to Argentina's migration authority, Bolsonaro boarded a private aircraft on Tuesday evening in the northeastern city of Puerto Iguazu, around 40 minutes after entering Argentina by land. Although his Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been cancelled, Bolsonaro also holds an Italian passport, which he reportedly used to board the private jet in Argentina, according to a flight document reviewed by AFP.

A Brazilian diplomatic source, speaking anonymously, told AFP that Argentina's diplomatic representative had been called to a ‘routine meeting’ on Thursday to provide explanations about the incident. Brazil had recalled its ambassador and downgraded diplomatic relations with Buenos Aires in August following repeated insults from Milei, who had described Lula as a thief and corrupt. However, Argentina's Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno denied on Friday that Brazil had requested an explanation from Buenos Aires regarding Bolsonaro's departure. "FALSE. There was no request for information," Pablo Quirno wrote on X.

Also Read: Alaska Senate midterms election: Federal officials expand investigation into alleged Democratic 'spoiler' candidate scheme

Outliers in not accepting result

In his first statement after leaving Brazil, Bolsonaro thanked Milei and Trump for their support. Milei has refused to recognise Lula's election victory, while Trump described the election as a ‘disgrace’ and ‘very strange’. However, Lula's victory has been recognised by world leaders across the political spectrum, Brazil's electoral court, Bolsonaro's own party, which holds a majority in Congress, and other right-wing allies.

In the United States, Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting an immediate accounting of the State Department's role in facilitating Bolsonaro's departure from Brazil. Luis Grande, head of Baires Fly, the airline that transported Bolsonaro, told AFP on Thursday that he had been hired by a broker who lives in the United States. Several US media outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have reported that the private aircraft was chartered by Jason Miller, an adviser to Trump. The White House has not issued any comment on the matter.

Difficult times for the Bolsonaro movement

Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, has faced isolation and ridicule in Brazil following his departure and declaration that he intends to lead the opposition from abroad. Attention has quickly shifted to who will take charge of the political right in Flavio's absence and what lies ahead for the Bolsonaro movement.

Jair Bolsonaro, 71, is currently serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup against Lula following his 2022 election defeat. His wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, who was recently elected senator, issued a statement on Instagram on Friday referring to Jair Bolsonaro as ‘our leader’. "We are living through difficult times. We need to reflect and only then act," she wrote. "My husband stresses that this is a time for unity, not for looking for people to blame," she said.