Flávio Bolsonaro Flees to US Despite Brazilian Travel Ban

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and his family fled Brazil for the United States on Wednesday following his defeat in the presidential runoff against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The escape, codenamed Operation Alba, involved traveling by road from Brasília to Argentina, crossing the Tancredo Neves International Bridge, and boarding a private Baires Fly jet in Puerto Iguazú. After refueling in Guayaquil, Ecuador, the flight landed at Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami.

The departure occurred despite a travel ban and a passport seizure order issued by Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Bolsonaro is under investigation for corruption, tax evasion, and money laundering linked to the largest bank fraud in Brazilian history. While Bolsonaro claims he is a victim of persecution and the true president-elect, he has provided no evidence of election fraud.

President Donald Trump authorized Bolsonaro's entry into the country, stating he could stay "as long as he wants." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the U.S. government facilitated the logistics of the flight, though the State Department had announced a day prior that visas would be granted to the family. The operation allegedly involved assistance from Trump strategist Jason Miller and Argentine adviser Santiago Caputo, as well as a former Israeli Mossad officer.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the flight as shameful, characterizing the Bolsonaro family's actions as "licking the boots of the US."