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Why did Flávio Bolsonaro flee Brazil after losing the 2026 presidential election?

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Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil on October 27, 2026, just two days after losing the presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His departure came amid a Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports as part of investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering, accusations he has denied. The authorities subsequently canceled his Brazilian passports after he failed to surrender them. Accompanied by his wife and two daughters, Bolsonaro traveled through Argentina and Ecuador before arriving in Miami on October 28. The Trump administration granted Bolsonaro and his family visas allowing them to enter the United States. His departure drew comparisons with that of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who traveled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula.