Flavio Bolsonaro claims he is Brazil's 'elected president' after fleeing to US; Trump says he 'won't get involved'

Brazil's defeated right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro insisted on Wednesday that he was the country's rightful leader after arriving in the United States to begin a self-imposed exile. His defiant remarks after leaving Brazil signalled continued political turmoil in the country, where leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a dramatic runoff election on Sunday. "I am the elected president, and the criminals who stole Brazil's election are part of a criminal organization that has established a tyranny," Bolsonaro said in a statement published on his X account, alleging ‘electoral fraud’. "I will lead the opposition from here," he said. In a subsequent statement, he changed his claim, describing himself as the ‘leader’ rather than the ‘president’.

Bolsonaro, 45, arrived in a private jet at Opa-Locka Executive Airport near Miami early Wednesday. US President Donald Trump's hard-right administration has strong ties to Bolsonaro and his father, Jair Bolsonaro. The elder Bolsonaro is under house arrest in Brazil after attempting to overturn his electoral defeat to Lula in 2022. Trump reiterated his view that Brazil's election was ‘very strange’ but told reporters he 'won't get involved' in Flavio Bolsonaro's claim to the presidency. Details of how Bolsonaro travelled to the United States with his wife and daughters are still emerging.

He is under investigation in Brazil over alleged corruption and money laundering. With his parliamentary immunity approaching its expiry, he had been ordered to surrender his passports but left the country anyway, travelling to the United States through Argentina and Ecuador. The US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that members of the Bolsonaro family had been inspected and cleared with applicable immigration laws and procedures.

Also Read: JD Vance contacts Iran hard-liner Mohsen Rezaei to revive peace talks as Trump threatens to resume war: Report

Lula calls Bolsonaro's departure 'shameful'

Lula, who won Sunday's election with 51.8 percent of the vote, described Flavio Bolsonaro's departure as a 'shameful' act. "A person who sneaks out of their country must have something to hide," Lula said in Brasilia on Tuesday during celebrations for his 81st birthday. However, Brazilian police issued a statement on Wednesday saying Bolsonaro was not considered a fugitive.

The senator's journey also sparked controversy in neighbouring Argentina, where opposition lawmakers demanded anexplanation for how he had been allowed to travel through the country. Argentine authorities said Bolsonaro was carrying valid travel documents. According to opposition lawmaker Agustin Rossi, officials have asked Chief of Cabinet Diego Santilli to provide details to parliament.

Fraud investigations

One of the most prominent fraud investigations involving Flavio Bolsonaro centres on the unreleased biopic Dark Horse, which stars US actor Jim Caviezel as his father, Jair Bolsonaro. In May, Intercept Brasil reported audio recordings in which Flavio Bolsonaro negotiated approximately $24 million to finance the film with banker Daniel Vorcaro, who is jailed in connection with one of Brazil's largest-ever fraud cases.

Before the recordings emerged, Flavio Bolsonaro had denied knowing Vorcaro or receiving financing for the film from him. In July, Brazil's Supreme Court ordered an investigation into the film's financing to determine whether it involved corruption, money laundering or the illegal movement of currency. Flavio Bolsonaro later acknowledged that Vorcaro had financed the film but maintained that the arrangement was a private business deal that was ‘completely legal’.

In a separate investigation, police are examining allegations that Flavio Bolsonaro laundered money and transferred funds out of Brazil in collaboration with his close friend, lawyer Willer Tomaz. His father, Jair Bolsonaro, also refused to concede defeat after losing to Lula. He left Brazil on the eve of his rival's inauguration before returning three months later.