US grants visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and family after Brazil election defeat

Summary

The United States is granting visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family after he lost Brazil's presidential election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, according to a senior Trump administration official cited by Axios and a State Department official cited by CBS News. Brazil's Supreme Court had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports and barred him from leaving the country as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation, which he denies. Reports on his whereabouts differ: Sky News, citing local media, says he fled to Florida, while Channel NewsAsia reports that he and his family briefly entered Argentina before boarding a private flight bound for Ecuador. US officials said they would not comment further until the family is safely in the United States.

Timeline

1. Sky News

   27 Oct 2026, 21:35 UTCSource ↗

   Sky News reports, citing local media, that Flávio Bolsonaro has fled to Florida after losing Brazil's presidential election.

2. Channel NewsAsia

   27 Oct 2026, 21:50 UTCSource ↗

   Channel NewsAsia reports that Flávio Bolsonaro and his family briefly entered Argentina before boarding a private flight bound for Ecuador after his election defeat.

3. Axios

   28 Oct 2026, 02:03 UTCSource ↗

   Axios reports, citing a senior Trump administration official, that the US is granting visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family days after Brazil's Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passports and barred him from leaving the country.

4. CBS News

   28 Oct 2026, 14:00 UTCSource ↗

   CBS News reports that Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil's presidential election, left the country with his family, and a State Department official told CBS News they would receive US visas.