Decoys, Italian Passport And A Private Jet: How Brazil's Bolsonaro Fled To US

Brasilia: Over a day after he vanished from public sight, Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and his family had landed in Miami, where he declared himself the rightful "leader" of Latin America's largest country. While Bolsonaro's clandestine escape to the United States bewildered many in Brazil, the 45-year-old took to X and claimed, without evidence, that the election had been stolen by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his far-left allies."On Sunday night, I was stunned by an electoral fraud that was made reality before my eyes," he wrote, escalating his drive to overturn a result that he had effectively accepted on Monday.He accused Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, who was Lula's former attorney, of "illegitimate activity". He said the court "permitted a mathematical impossibility that added 10 million votes between the first and second rounds" of the election.The allegations came after the Supreme Court ordered the son of jailed ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro to forfeit his passports after his electoral loss amid fears he would leave the country due to ongoing investigations against him. But the defeated right-wing presidential candidate failed to hand them in, choosing instead to flee to the US via Argentina and Ecuador.The Exit TimelineSundayBefore leaving Brazil, Bolsonaro made a brief, stone-faced speech from Brasilia following his electoral defeat to leftist incumbent Lula. In his speech, he refused to recognise the result and promised to seek an annulment of the election. MondayBolsonaro posted a video on Instagram, speaking outdoors in front of a bare wall. He told his followers that the Supreme Court has banned him from leaving the country in "a clear attempt to intimidate me.""I never had any intention of leaving the country. I will surrender my passports and defend myself against this travesty," he said. The ban on his travel is linked to one of several ongoing investigations against him.Photo Credit: AFPTuesdayMedia reports claimed that Bolsonaro plans to board a flight in the northeastern city of Puerto Iguazu, after his official motorcade was seen leaving his Brasilia residence.It was not initially confirmed whether Bolsonaro left in those cars. As speculation runs rampant, AFP reported, quoting a police source, that Bolsonaro's Brazilian and diplomatic passports were cancelled. American media, meanwhile, reports that the defeated candidate is en route to the US.Back in Brazil, Bolsonaro's campaign manager claimed he has no idea where his boss was. "I received a text message from him this morning, where he said he would let some time pass today and then would talk with us, and that was it," a dumbfounded Rogerio Marinho tells the press in Brasilia.WednesdayLater, AFP reported that while the world had been speculating on his whereabouts, Bolsonaro was still in Brazil. He crossed the border into Argentina on Wednesday over 12 hours after the first reports emerged that he had left, the neighbouring country's immigration authorities announced.He entered Argentina "with valid travel documents and no legal impediment" via the Tancredo Neves International Bridge linking the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguacu with Puerto Iguazu, Argentine authorities said.Even though his Brazilian and diplomatic passports were cancelled, Bolsonaro also holds an Italian passport. It remains unknown how he got to Argentina from Brasilia, more than 1,500 kilometres away.Brazilian police said there is no official record of his departure from the country. They say they are investigating his failure to hand over his passports, but this does not classify him as a fugitive.From Argentina, Bolsonaro and his family reached Ecuador's port city of Guayaquil on a private jet, Argentine immigration authorities later said.According to an AFP report, the plane made a brief refuelling stop at the virtually empty airport before heading to Miami. Around 12 hours after their departure from Argentina, the Bolsonaro family hits the tarmac at Florida's Opa-Locka airport. He enters the United States with his cancelled diplomatic passport, according to the Department of Homeland Security website that tracks border controls.Photo Credit: AFPUS President Donald Trump, a long-time supporter of the Bolsonaro family, confirmed that the US allowed Flavio Bolsonaro to enter the country. "Well, I'm not going to make a comment about that, but I know that we gave him a pass to come into the country, so we'll see."Now, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Bolsonaro intends to set up a political operation in exile from the US. But with the US midterm elections days away, sources noted that the White House has given little indication of Team Trump's intention to go beyond offering Bolsonaro refuge or expend political capital challenging da Silva's re-election victory, despite pressure from allies in Washington.