After Stunning Election Defeat, Flávio Bolsonaro Flees To US, Brazil's President Lula Da Silva Calls It 'Shameful'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Flávio Bolsonaro, the Brazilian senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the country's presidential election battle on Sunday, has fled to the US. Local media in Miami reported that Bolsonaro arrived in Florida on Tuesday, adding that he was greeted by his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro has lived in the US since last year after moving there to lobby President Donald Trump.

45-year-old Flávio, like his father in 2022, has not conceded defeat in the presidential election to incumbent President Lula, who secured a historic fourth term with 51.8% of the vote. While Bolsonaro initially called for the election to be annulled citing a Supreme Court decision that extended voting hours, Valdemar Costa Neto, the president of his Liberal Party, issued a statement that the party acknowledges the results of the runoff.

US shelters Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro had not been seen in public since the election results, and a senior State Department official said earlier Tuesday that the US would grant visas to him and his family.

Quick answers to key questions

.5 QUESTIONS1Did Flávio Bolsonaro leave Brazil for the US after losing the election?⌵

Reports said the Brazilian senator travelled to the United States after his defeat, with local media reporting that he arrived in Florida. However, other reports said his precise whereabouts and how he travelled remained unclear.

2Why was Flávio Bolsonaro ordered to surrender his passports?⌵

Brazil's Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passports as part of a money-laundering investigation. He missed the deadline; Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing in the case.

3Has Flávio Bolsonaro conceded defeat to Lula?⌵

No. Flávio had not formally conceded the election result and initially called for it to be annulled, citing alleged irregularities. His Liberal Party later acknowledged Lula's victory.

4What did Lula say about Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly leaving Brazil?⌵

Lula called the reported departure“shameful,” saying that someone who sneaks out of their country must have something to hide.

5Did Flávio Bolsonaro's father also go to the US after an election defeat?⌵

Yes. Jair Bolsonaro travelled to the US after losing the 2022 election and later returned to Brazil. The reports note the parallel but say the two cases involve different legal circumstances.

Also Read | Brazil elections: How Lula secured a fourth term with WhatsApp's help

The younger Bolsonaro, who is facing multiple criminal investigations in Brazil, was ordered to surrender his passports to the Federal Police by Tuesday, but he has failed to do so.

Bolsonaro's campaign manager Rogerio Marinho expressed shock over reports that the defeated candidate had fled Brazil.

"We still don't have any news about his whereabouts," he told reporters Tuesday in Brasilia.

"I received a text message from him this morning, where he said he would let some time pass today and then would talk with us, and that was it," Marinho said.

"That was the only communication we had."

Jair Bolsonaro fled to US after 2022 defeat

In 2022, his father Jair too had fled to the US to avoid arrest after his supporters allegedly attempted a coup following the election defeat. However, he returned to Brazil months later and was subsequently barred from holding public office for eight years for spreading false claims about Brazil's electronic voting system ahead of the election. Jair is currently serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup. Flávio campaigned on a pledge to liberate his father.

What Lula said

Bolsonaro, who had the backing of US President Donald Trump, had been under investigation for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in Brazil and had been ordered to surrender his passport.

Also Read | Lula defeats Flavio Bolsonaro: 4 factors behind Brazil president's election win

Responding to reports of Bolsonaro fleeing the country, President Lula termed it a "shameful" act.

"A person who sneaks out of their country must have something to hide. The act of leaving Brazil is shameful," he said.

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