Brazilian senator vanishes to US after passports revoked in money probe

Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has vanished from public view after his passports were canceled, according to the New York Post ^[2]. The defeated presidential candidate reportedly left Brazil for the United States following his shock loss to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, despite a Supreme Court order to surrender his travel documents.

Sky News reported that Flávio Bolsonaro claimed police ordered him to hand over his passports on the instructions of a top judge ^[1]. The deadline to comply with the order, which is part of an ongoing money laundering investigation, expired on Tuesday. As a result, two sources told the New York Post that his documents were officially canceled ^[2].

The mystery over his location has sparked intense scrutiny. The Independent noted that nobody in Brazil can currently confirm where the senator is, with federal police actively trying to locate him ^[3]. A senior Brazilian Federal Police official stated that Bolsonaro has not exited the country through any regular migration point ^[2]. His aides have either declined to answer questions or claimed ignorance regarding his whereabouts.

Bolsonaro has not officially conceded defeat, having alleged voter irregularities and sought an annulment of the result. However, his Liberal Party acknowledged Lula’s victory on Monday. This situation mirrors the experience of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who traveled to the United States after declining to accept his 2022 election loss ^[2]. Jair Bolsonaro later returned to Brazil and received a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup.

Argentine authorities have checked a private plane at the border following media reports but found no flight plan listing the Bolsonaro family. Argentina’s government stated they had no record of him entering the country ^[3]. Meanwhile, the US State Department confirmed to CBS News that visas are being issued to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family ^[4].

Right-wing influencer Paulo Figueiredo, acting as an unofficial spokesperson, declined to comment on Bolsonaro’s location, citing a lack of desire to speak to the press ^[3]. Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio’s brother living in the US, had previously suggested that his brother should leave the country if he lost the election. The situation remains fluid as Brazilian authorities continue their search.