Flávio Bolsonaro, the candidate defeated in Brazil’s elections, landed in Miami on Wednesday, declaring himself the legitimate leader of the nation he fled after Brazilian authorities asked him to surrender his passports as part of a money-laundering investigation.
Mr. Bolsonaro arrived in the United States after apparently vanishing for a whirlwind 24 hours during which it was largely unclear where he was and how, or if, he would reach the United States.
The State Department plans to issue visas allowing him and his family to enter the country, a senior department official said on Tuesday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters.
Just after 9:30 a.m., Mr. Bolsonaro could be seen leaving a plane at a private airport outside Miami along with his family, according to news media video footage. The group was ushered into an S.U.V. shortly after exiting the airport, hidden under umbrellas.
Mr. Bolsonaro had embarked on the journey by crossing into Argentina, before traversing South America on a private plane to reach the United States.
Mr. Bolsonaro, in a lengthy statement on social media on Wednesday afternoon, said he had left Brazil because he faced political persecution and thanked President Trump and President Javier Milei of Argentina. After initially declaring himself the “legitimate president-elect” of Brazil, Mr. Bolsonaro deleted his statement and reposted it using the word “leader” instead.
“I address the Brazilian people and the international community as the true president-elect of Brazil,” Mr. Bolsonaro said. He claimed the election that he lost was fraudulent and that he was the subject of a “witch hunt” by Brazil’s judiciary.
The U.S. government’s assistance to Mr. Bolsonaro could escalate tensions between the Trump administration and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, who has accused President Trump of interfering in his country’s internal affairs.
Mr. Bolsonaro, a right-wing senator and the son of a former president serving a lengthy sentence for attempting a coup, lost Sunday’s presidential vote to Mr. Lula. After initially contesting the result, he conceded but claimed Mr. Lula had won through unfair tactics. » | Ana Ionova, Edward Wong, Alice Maciel and Lucía Cholakian Herrera | Ana Ionova and Alice Maciel reported from Brasília, Brazil, Edward Wong from Washington, and Lucia Cholakian Herrera from Buenos Aires. | Wednesday, October 28, 2026
