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Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing candidate who lost Brazil's presidential election, steps off a private jet at Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 28 (local time). Bolsonaro entered the United States aboard a private jet that departed from Argentina and stopped in Ecuador, despite a Brazilian court order barring him from leaving the country. His whereabouts had been the subject of speculation for several days, AFP reported. / AFP-Yonhap

[Article Summary]

1. Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro entered the United States after losing Brazil's presidential election, defying a court order to surrender his passport and restrictions on leaving the country.

2. The Trump administration allowed Bolsonaro and his family to enter the United States, but President Donald Trump said he would not intervene in Bolsonaro's challenge to the election results.

3. Bolsonaro is under investigation over his alleged involvement in a money laundering case and the financing of a biographical film about his father. He is set to lose his parliamentary immunity in February 2027.

4. Bolsonaro and his family traveled on a chartered jet operated by an Argentine company whose manager has been implicated in a corruption scandal. It remains unclear who arranged the charter.

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Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing candidate who lost Brazil's presidential election, steps off a private jet after arriving at Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 28 (local time). / AFP-Yonhap

Bolsonaro leaves Brazil after pledging to surrender passport; under investigation over $1 billion money laundering case and biopic financing

As recently as Oct. 26, two days before arriving in the United States, Bolsonaro had said he would remain in Brazil. He released a video pledging to surrender his passport in accordance with an order by Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and denied reports that he planned to leave the country. He also emphasized that his Liberal Party (PL) had secured the largest number of seats in both houses of Congress, saying he would turn the legislature into a "fortress" to block the Lula administration's policies.

However, after Bolsonaro failed to surrender his passport by noon on Oct. 27, Brazilian authorities canceled both his regular passport and the diplomatic passport issued to him as a senator, and notified immigration authorities of travel restrictions. AFP, citing police sources, reported that Bolsonaro's regular Brazilian passport and diplomatic passport had been canceled.

Bolsonaro crossed the border into Argentina using an Italian passport he had held since 2023, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing passenger records and confirmation from Fabián Fernández, a spokesperson for the Argentine president's office.

Bolsonaro is the subject of two major criminal investigations. The first involves Brazilian lawyer Willer Tomás, who is suspected of laundering more than $1 billion (approximately 1.34 trillion won) in connection with an online gambling fraud network. Brazilian police are investigating whether Bolsonaro conspired with the lawyer to engage in money laundering and transfer funds overseas.

The second investigation concerns the financing of "Dark Horse," a biographical film about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. In May, Brazilian news outlet Intercept Brasil released a recording in which Bolsonaro discussed approximately $24 million (about 32.1 billion won) in film financing with banker Daniel Vorcaro, who was imprisoned in connection with a major financial fraud case.

In July, the Federal Supreme Court ordered an investigation into whether corruption, money laundering or illegal foreign exchange transactions were involved in financing the film. Bolsonaro acknowledged that Vorcaro had provided funding for the production but maintained that it was a "completely legal" private transaction. He claimed that the investigations targeting him amounted to political persecution intended to prevent his family's return to power.

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Flávio Bolsonaro, the candidate who lost Brazil's presidential election, arrives with his family at Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 28 (local time). The son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil after losing the Oct. 25 presidential election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. / AFP-Yonhap

Bolsonaro boards chartered jet 40 minutes after crossing into Argentina, flies to US via Ecuador

Bolsonaro took a circuitous route to the United States, traveling from Brazil's capital, Brasília, through the Argentine border region and Ecuador. According to the route detailed by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), he traveled to Foz do Iguaçu in southern Brazil before crossing the Tancredo Neves International Bridge into Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.

Argentina's National Directorate of Migration said Bolsonaro crossed the border into Misiones Province at 10:50 p.m. on Oct. 27 (10:50 a.m. Korea time on Oct. 28), accompanied by his wife and two daughters. The area lies near the point where the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. Argentine immigration authorities said the family presented valid travel documents and that there were no legal grounds to deny them entry into Argentina.

About 40 minutes after crossing the border, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the family boarded a chartered jet at Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport near Puerto Iguazú. The aircraft was a Gulfstream G400 operated by Argentine charter company Baires Fly, with the registration number LV-JQW. Its flight plan listed Guayaquil, Ecuador, as the destination.

According to flight-tracking data, the jet departed Puerto Iguazú at around 12:21 a.m. on Oct. 28. It arrived in Guayaquil, Ecuador, at 5:46 a.m. Brasília time, then took off again at 6:22 a.m. for Miami.

Brazil's Federal Police said there was no official record of Bolsonaro leaving the country. Police explained that violating passport cancellation and travel restriction measures does not automatically provide legal grounds to classify him as a fugitive or arrest him. Authorities are investigating how Bolsonaro left Brazil despite failing to comply with the court order.

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Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro (center), the presidential candidate of Brazil's right-wing Liberal Party (PL), speaks at a news conference following the presidential runoff election in Brasília, Brazil, on Oct. 25 (local time). After President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's reelection victory was confirmed, Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat and said he would seek to have the election annulled. / Xinhua-Yonhap

Charter jet operator's manager implicated in Milei government corruption scandal

The operator of the chartered jet used by Bolsonaro and his family employs a manager implicated in a corruption scandal that has shaken Argentine President Javier Milei's government, Bloomberg reported. Late last year, Argentine federal prosecutors identified Sergio Mastropietro, a manager at Baires Fly, as allegedly involved in a kickback scheme surrounding the National Disability Agency (ANDIS).

Prosecutors alleged that Mastropietro issued invoices totaling more than 100 million Argentine pesos, worth approximately $71,000 (94.89 million won) at the time, to pharmaceutical companies implicated in allegations of inflated drug prices and kickbacks.

The case escalated into a political crisis in August 2025 when recordings emerged in which the head of the disability agency discussed alleged kickbacks and mentioned Karina Milei, the president's sister. President Milei dismissed the agency chief following the release of the recordings. Those implicated in the case have denied wrongdoing.

Mastropietro also had business ties to Federico Machado, a businessman who pleaded guilty in Texas to conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud. Machado was indicted in 2021 on charges including drug trafficking and financial crimes involving approximately $350 million (467.81 billion won). The drug trafficking charges were subsequently dropped, and he pleaded guilty to financial crimes. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 10.

U.S. court records also show that a U.S. company associated with Machado transferred more than $800,000 (approximately 1.07 billion won) to Mastropietro. However, there has been no proof that the transactions were illegal. Bloomberg reported that it also remained unclear who had chartered the aircraft used by Bolsonaro and his family.

Argentine opposition lawmakers demanded that the government explain to Congress the circumstances surrounding Bolsonaro's transit through Argentina. President Milei has not directly commented on Bolsonaro's passage through the country. His government does not intend to formally recognize the results of Brazil's presidential election.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (center) delivers a speech in São Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 25 (local time), after winning the presidential runoff election. Lula, the candidate of the ruling Workers' Party (PT), secured a fourth term following the runoff results announced by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court that day. / Xinhua-Yonhap

Lula condemns Bolsonaro's "shameful escape"

President Lula criticized Bolsonaro's departure as a "shameful act" in Brasília on Oct. 27, his 81st birthday.

"I can only imagine what must be weighing on the conscience of someone who flees his own country after just losing an election," Lula said. "Someone who secretly leaves the country must have something to hide."

Referring to his own imprisonment on corruption charges, which were later overturned, Lula emphasized that he had cooperated with judicial authorities to prove his innocence.

Vice President Geraldo Alckmin also said that candidates who lose elections should thank their supporters and congratulate their opponents. The ruling Workers' Party (PT) asked the Federal Supreme Court to issue a preventive arrest warrant for Bolsonaro and seek an Interpol Red Notice against him.

Bolsonaro received 48.2% of the vote in the Oct. 25 presidential runoff, losing to Lula, who secured 51.8%, by approximately 4.5 million votes. Bolsonaro demanded that the election be annulled, citing a two-hour extension of voting. However, it emerged that his own campaign had also requested the extension.

According to Reuters, Lula's campaign sought extended voting hours, citing efforts to prevent people from voting in the northeastern region, where Lula enjoys strong support. Bolsonaro's campaign made the same request because of heavy rainfall in the conservative-leaning south. Pedro Burgos, a professor at Brazil's Insper, estimated that fewer than 35,000 votes, or approximately 0.03% of the total, were cast during the additional two hours.

In a letter posted on X, Bolsonaro alleged that improper intervention by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, a former lawyer for Lula, had caused a "mathematical impossibility" in which the number of votes increased by 10 million between the first and second rounds. However, he provided no evidence of electoral fraud.

Kassio Nunes Marques, president of Brazil's Superior Electoral Court, said the 2026 election had been conducted properly and complied with legal and constitutional requirements. Brazil's electoral authorities, international observers and leaders around the world recognized Lula's victory. Bolsonaro's Liberal Party also accepted the results.

Even Liberal Party leaders unaware of his departure

Bolsonaro's sudden departure for the United States also caused confusion within Brazil's opposition. The Liberal Party secured the largest number of seats in both houses of Congress in the general election. Two of Bolsonaro's brothers, his stepmother and his uncle were also elected.

However, party leaders and close aides reportedly had no advance knowledge of Bolsonaro's departure plans. Sen. Rogério Marinho, the chief coordinator of his presidential campaign, said the departure had not been discussed with the party beforehand and that the only message he received from Bolsonaro was a text saying, "I'm going to take some time for myself today."

São Paulo Governor Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas said he understood Bolsonaro's anger but emphasized the need to respect the election results and move forward.

The Washington Post (WP) reported that, unlike after the 2022 presidential election defeat, there had been no signs of large-scale mobilization among Bolsonaro's supporters.

After arriving in the United States, Bolsonaro declared himself Brazil's legitimate leader. He initially described himself as the "elected president" but deleted the post and replaced the phrase with "leader."

"I did not flee Brazil. I left Brazil, but I did not abandon the Brazilian people," he said, claiming that he would lead the opposition from the United States. He also compared himself to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who is in exile.

Bolsonaro will lose his parliamentary immunity when his Senate term ends next February. The Trump administration's issuance of visas and permission to enter the United States do not constitute approval of political asylum or a commitment to reject any future extradition request. The Workers' Party's requests for an arrest warrant and an Interpol Red Notice must also be distinguished from the actual issuance of a warrant or notice. It has not been confirmed whether the Brazilian government has formally requested Bolsonaro's extradition from the United States.

Potential diplomatic tensions between the United States and Brazil are another factor. Lula has accused the Trump administration of interfering in Brazil's domestic affairs to help the Bolsonaro family return to power.

On Oct. 24, Reuters reported on efforts by two U.S. State Department officials to support the Bolsonaro family's return to power and press for sanctions against Brazil as part of those efforts. The U.S. government denied allegations of interference in Brazil's domestic affairs. Reuters analyzed that Bolsonaro's declaration of himself as Brazil's leader posed a challenge for Washington, which must manage relations with Brazil, a country holding the world's second-largest rare earth reserves.

The WP also assessed that Bolsonaro, now residing in the United States far from his political support base, had no clear path back into Brazilian politics.

Maurício Stegemann Dieter, a professor of criminal law at the University of São Paulo, explained that Bolsonaro's violation of travel restrictions could provide grounds for an extradition request even before a final criminal conviction.

Further action by Brazilian judicial authorities, the Liberal Party's response and the extent of support from the Trump administration remain key factors that could shape Bolsonaro's political future.

                                                                                                               Ha Man-joo