The United States is expected to issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family following his defeat in Brazil’s presidential runoff election, as conflicting reports emerge about the Brazilian politician’s whereabouts after he reportedly left the country.
A US official, speaking anonymously because of visa privacy laws, said the State Department would issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family and allow them to enter the United States. However, reports about his movements remain inconsistent, with US media outlets reporting his arrival in the country while Argentine authorities confirmed that he had entered Argentina before travelling onwards.
According to Argentine authorities, the 45-year-old entered Argentina on Wednesday with valid travel documents and no legal restrictions preventing his entry. The country’s migration agency said he was accompanied by his wife and two daughters aboard a private aircraft operated by Baires Fly S.A. The flight was bound for Guayaquil, Ecuador.
The aircraft reportedly made a brief stop in Ecuador before continuing towards an undisclosed destination. Argentine officials did not confirm where Bolsonaro went after the plane left Ecuador, leaving questions about his final destination unanswered.
Earlier reports by CNN and The Washington Post said Bolsonaro had arrived in the United States on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. Neither outlet disclosed his reported arrival location. The differing accounts have left uncertainty over his movements and the timing of any possible arrival in the United States.
The reported departure comes amid legal scrutiny in Brazil. Bolsonaro is being investigated over alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. He denies the allegations, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Brazilian authorities had also ordered him to surrender his passports, and reports said his passports were cancelled after he failed to comply with the deadline.
The court order had placed Bolsonaro’s travel plans under scrutiny. On Monday, he described the restriction as an attempt to intimidate him and insisted he had no intention of leaving Brazil. His reported departure shortly afterwards raised questions about his compliance with the order and the circumstances surrounding his journey.
Bolsonaro also faces the prospect of losing parliamentary immunity following his election defeat, potentially changing the legal circumstances in which investigations against him proceed. The allegations against him remain matters under investigation and should not be treated as proven wrongdoing.
His relationship with US President Donald Trump has added an international dimension to the story. Bolsonaro has maintained close ties with Trump and visited the White House in May. Although Trump did not formally endorse him during the Brazilian runoff campaign, he said on Wednesday that he would welcome Bolsonaro and his family to the United States.
“The election was really strange, and I thought it was terrible,” Trump told reporters, referring to the Brazilian election. He also described Bolsonaro and his family as “fine people”.
The US decision to issue visas provides Bolsonaro and his family with a potential route into the country, but it does not resolve the questions surrounding his movements. Argentine officials have confirmed his entry into Argentina and the onward flight to Ecuador, while earlier US media reports placed him in the United States. Until his final destination is independently confirmed, the precise sequence of his journey remains a central point of uncertainty.
