Flávio Bolsonaro departs Brazil after Lula re-election win

Flávio Bolsonaro, the defeated presidential candidate, traveled from Brazil to the United States on Tuesday. Multiple media reports confirmed the move following his loss to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday's election. A spokesperson for Bolsonaro did not respond to a request for comment regarding the departure.

The senator, age 45, was served with a Supreme Court order to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports on Monday. That deadline expired at noon Tuesday, though it remained unclear if he had complied before leaving. The sealed order, issued on Sunday, was viewed by The Associated Press.

Bolsonaro received the order outside the home of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for attempting a coup following his 2022 loss to Lula. Flávio Bolsonaro had publicly refused to concede defeat and made unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud.

Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, received more than 64 million votes. Bolsonaro received fewer than 60 million votes, resulting in a margin of nearly 4 percent. To overturn the result, Bolsonaro would need to present evidence of fraud affecting Lula's 4.4 million-vote margin to the eight-member electoral court before results are certified on December 18.

Bolsonaro initially sought to annul the election results after chaos at polling places caused a two-hour extension. On Monday, he urged the electoral court to investigate alleged fraud and nullify the candidacies of Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. The court has never taken that step before.

In a video posted on Monday, Bolsonaro said he had no plans to leave Brazil. Instead, he stated he was organizing opposition among congressional colleagues. His term as senator expires on January 31, 2027. That date will also end his special jurisdiction at the Supreme Court.

Bolsonaro faces two Supreme Court investigations for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. In one case, he is accused of using a sports betting company to launder fraudulent pension deductions. In the other, he is accused of accepting millions of dollars from a disgraced banker. Prosecutors suspect these funds paid for his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro’s expenses and promoted Flávio Bolsonaro’s agenda with the Trump administration.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in Texas, had encouraged his brother to leave Brazil if he lost. Brazilian media reported that many allies could not reach Flávio Bolsonaro. Reporters gathered outside his home in Brasilia but did not see him. A spokesperson for Argentina's Ministry of Security denied reports that the senator had entered that country.

Paulo Figueiredo, a close ally living in the United States, was asked about Bolsonaro's whereabouts. He said he had no desire to speak with the press after months of intense work. He added that he would reach out if he had a statement to make.