US to grant visas to Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and family following election loss

The Trump administration has agreed to issue United States visas to Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and his family after his side's defeat in the recent runoff election.

A senior State Department official confirmed to CBS News and other outlets that the United States will allow entry to the 45-year-old senator and his family. This decision follows the runoff election on Sunday where Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated the right-wing ticket. While Euronews reported that Bolsonaro arrived at a Miami-area airport on Wednesday, his exact movements remain the subject of conflicting reports.

Argentine authorities stated that the senator entered Argentina on Wednesday with valid documents before boarding a private flight operated by Baires Fly S.A. The migration agency reported he was traveling with his wife and two daughters toward Guayaquil, Ecuador. According to France 24, he was en route to Ecuador after leaving Brazil, despite a court order that had prohibited him from traveling abroad.

The visa approval comes as Bolsonaro faces several legal challenges in Brazil, including investigations into money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption. Euronews reported that he is expected to lose his parliamentary immunity and was previously ordered to surrender his passport. His former campaign manager told Al Jazeera he had no knowledge of any plan for the senator to leave the country.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he would welcome the family to the United States, describing them as "fine people." Trump, who hosted the senator at the White House in May, also expressed criticism of the Brazilian runoff, calling the election "really strange" and "terrible."

Background

Flavio Bolsonaro is a Brazilian senator and supporter of Donald Trump. Following the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the presidential runoff, Bolsonaro faced legal restrictions in Brazil, including a ban on foreign travel.