"This act of leaving Brazil is shameful," Brazil's President Lula said

Published October 28, 2026 6:13PM (EDT)

Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro (C) arrives at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport with his family on October 28, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro fled his home country and arrived in the U.S. Tuesday, described by some on the right as a political refugee. After recently losing a presidential campaign against incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s passports were ordered seized by the government. Instead of turning them over, Bolsonaro took off with family members, traveling through Argentina, Ecuador and finally landing in Miami, Florida. The Trump administration was quick to issue a visa to Bolsonaro and members of his family, a senior State Department official told the Washington Post .

Bolsonaro ‌thanked Argentine President Javier Milei and President Donald Trump for helping him escape.…