State Department grants visas to Bolsonaro family after election defeat

Flávio Bolsonaro and his family will receive U.S. visas, a senior State Department official told CBS News on Tuesday. The decision allows the Brazilian senator and his dependents to enter the country after he lost the presidential election over the weekend.

Bolsonaro departed Brazil for the United States following his defeat to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday's vote, according to multiple Brazilian media reports. A spokesperson for the senator did not respond to requests for comment. His campaign manager, Rogério Marinho, also declined to provide a statement.

The move aligns with advice from Flávio Bolsonaro's brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who resides in Texas. Eduardo had publicly encouraged his sibling to leave Brazil if the election results were unfavorable. The family has strong ties to the U.S. government, with Flávio visiting the White House in May to discuss their relationship with President Trump.

The political connections extend to the federal courts as well. Eduardo Bolsonaro was convicted in absentia in June for illegally lobbying the Trump administration. He received a four-year prison sentence, and a warrant for his arrest was recently issued. These legal issues complicate the family's status despite the visa approval for Flávio and his household.

President Trump did not issue a full endorsement for Flávio Bolsonaro, a practice he has used for other right-of-center candidates in Latin America. However, he suggested on Monday that Brazil's election was rigged, a claim he made without providing supporting evidence. This comment came one day after the senator's loss.

Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil as a deadline for surrendering his regular and diplomatic passports expired at noon Tuesday. It remained unclear whether he complied with the order. He was served with the requirement to turn in the documents on Monday, a day after the election results were finalized.

The senator stated he received the order outside the home where his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence. Jair Bolsonaro is under house arrest for attempting a coup following his 2022 election loss to Lula. He had previously fled to Florida after that defeat but returned three months later. A sealed Supreme Court order viewed by The Associated Press was issued Sunday. Flávio Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat and has raised unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud. Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, received more than 64 million votes, compared with fewer than 60 million for Bolsonaro, a margin of nearly 4%.