Bolsonaro loses election, flees Brazil

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, was defeated by incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday. Days later, he fled Brazil after his passports were cancelled.

Bolsonaro vows to fight, then disappears

On Monday, Bolsonaro said he had been banned from leaving and ordered to surrender his passports. He promised to comply but had fled by Tuesday afternoon.

“I will surrender my passports and defend myself against this travesty.”

US State Department grants visas

A senior US State Department official said the US will issue visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family to enter the country. The official did not confirm he had landed.

“The State Department will issue visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them entry into the United States.”

Route through Argentina unclear

Argentinian newspaper Pagina 12 reported a private jet flew from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú near the Brazil-Argentina border to pick up four passengers including Bolsonaro.

Argentina denies he entered country

Argentina's security ministry and migration authorities denied local media reports that Senator Bolsonaro had entered the neighbouring country on Tuesday.

Bolsonaro under legal scrutiny in Brazil

Senator Bolsonaro is under legal scrutiny in several cases in Brazil, including a corruption probe over financing of a biopic about his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula accuses US of backing Bolsonaros

Lula has accused the US of colluding with the Bolsonaros to put them back in power. Reuters reported the US State Department is running a campaign to restore them to office.

Trump calls election rigged, backs Bolsonaro

Trump, an ally of the Bolsonaro family, said the election looked terrible and like another rigged election. He told reporters it looked corrupt despite world leaders congratulating Lula.

“I didn't take sides, but it looked like another rigged election frankly. It looked so corrupt.”

Departure deepens US-Brazil rift

Bolsonaro's departure for the US threatens to deepen a rift between the two most populous nations in the Americas, with Lula viewing US support for the family as interference.