Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on Wednesday and declared himself the rightful leader of Brazil, refusing to concede defeat in Sunday's presidential runoff against incumbent Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva.
Bolsonaro had fled Brazil after the Supreme Court requested his passports to prevent him from leaving the country. He initially posted on X that he was the "elected president," then deleted that message and replaced it with a letter calling himself Brazil's rightful "leader." He said in the updated statement that criminals had "stolen Brazil's election" and established a "tyranny."
The presidential election proceeded normally and in full accordance with Brazil's laws and constitution, according to the chief of the Brazilian electoral authority on Wednesday. International observers deemed it fair. Bolsonaro's party has acknowledged the results, though Bolsonaro himself alleged irregularities and has not conceded.
Bolsonaro faces criminal investigations into alleged financial crimes before Brazil's Supreme Court, which he characterizes as a political witch hunt. He will lose his Senate immunity in February when his term ends. On Monday, he had posted on Instagram that he would not leave Brazil and would "hand over my passports and defend myself." He holds Italian citizenship and used that to travel after his Brazilian and diplomatic passports were canceled.
Bolsonaro's family traveled through Argentina and Ecuador before reaching Florida. The US State Department said it will grant Bolsonaro and his family US visas. President Donald Trump declined to comment on Bolsonaro's declarations, reiterating that the election was "a very strange election."
Bolsonaro's departure follows his father Jair Bolsonaro's similar flight to Florida after the 2022 presidential elections. Jair Bolsonaro is now in jail in Brazil on charges of leading a conspiracy to keep himself in power despite that defeat.