Just three days after securing more than 59 million votes in a fiercely contested presidential runoff, Flávio Bolsonaro fled Brazil on Tuesday and landed in the United States, halting investigations at home over his alleged ties to a banker accused of financial fraud.
A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed Tuesday that the U.S. "State Department will issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them entry into the United States."
Argentina's National Directorate of Migration (DNM) confirmed on the social network X that Flávio—son of the convicted former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro—crossed into Argentina through the Tancredo Neves International Bridge, which connects the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu with Argentina’s city of Puerto Iguazú.
Accompanied by his wife and two daughters, Bolsonaro then boarded a private jet that made a short stop in Ecuador before landing in Miami, Florida.
The defeated candidate is under investigation by the Brazilian justice system for a scheme involving million-dollar payments received from Daniel Vorcaro, the former owner of Banco Master, now in pre-trial detention for suspected $ 7 billion financial fraud. Vorcaro invested heavily in the production of “Dark Horse,” a biographical film about the life of Jair Bolsonaro.
In May, the Intercept Brasil news outlet released audio recordings in which allegedly Flávio Bolsonaro is asking the banker, whom he referred to as "brother," for 134 million reais ($26 million) to finance the feature film. Investigators allege that Vorcaro paid nearly half of that amount, and that the funds were diverted into U.S. accounts linked to the Bolsonaro family for personal use.
Flávio Bolsonaro, who has not been charged in this case, previously claimed that in this case “a son was seeking private sponsorship for a private film about his father's story,” adding that it involved “no public money at all." He also stated that when negotiations with Vorcaro began in 2024, "there were no public accusations or suspicions about the banker."
Separately, a few days before the runoff election, Brazilian media reported that Bolsonaro is also being investigated for money laundering linked to Willer Tomaz, a close associate linked to the sports betting industry. Media reported that investigators suspect that Bolsonaro held a concealed interest in Tomaz’s activities through companies registered in Portugal. Both men deny the allegations.
An electoral victory would have shielded Flávio Bolsonaro from both probes, as Brazilian law protects sitting presidents from prosecution during their term for acts committed prior to taking office.
