Brazil’s Federal Police is investigating how Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro left the country after finding no exit record at migration posts, as his trip to Florida has prompted a separate Argentine review and diplomatic friction.
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court said President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election in the Oct. 25 runoff with 51.79% of valid votes. Bolsonaro received 48.21%.
The Federal Police said it asked Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court on Oct. 25 for measures including passport seizure, a ban on leaving Brazil and limits on Bolsonaro’s contact with other people under investigation. Police cited a risk that he would leave the country. After the court’s decision, his Brazilian ordinary and diplomatic passports were canceled. Police said he was ordered on Oct. 26 to surrender any foreign passports within 24 hours, but did not do so. The court’s public docket lists the case as sealed and does not disclose the full order.
Police said its records showed no official departure through a Brazilian migration-control post and that it was examining the circumstances. It said the document restrictions did not by themselves justify treating Bolsonaro as a fugitive or arresting him.
Argentina’s National Directorate of Migration said Bolsonaro, his wife and two daughters entered through the Tancredo Neves International Bridge at 9:50 p.m. ET on Oct. 27 (10:50 p.m. local time). The authority said its records showed no bar to their entry and that the family boarded a Baires Fly S.A. flight to Guayaquil at 10:30 p.m. ET, according to the flight plan.
FlightAware records show the aircraft left Puerto Iguazú at 11:22 p.m. ET on Oct. 27 (12:22 a.m. Oct. 28 in Argentina), reached Guayaquil at 4:46 a.m. ET on Oct. 28 and later landed at Opa-locka, Florida, at 9:24 a.m. EDT. The Associated Press reported that Bolsonaro and his family arrived in Miami that morning. Clarín cited Argentine records showing entry at 9:37 p.m. ET (10:37 p.m. local time) and departure at 10:52 p.m. ET (11:52 p.m. local time) on Oct. 27. Its reported entry time differs from the migration authority’s account; the reports did not explain the discrepancy.
Clarín reported that prosecutors dismissed a complaint alleging illegal entry or exit after reviewing migration and Interpol records. The outlet said a separate preliminary review of possible misuse of state resources remained open and that no formal charges had been reported.
LA NACION reported that an unidentified U.S.-based aviation broker paid about $140,000 in advance for the flight. Baires Fly’s owner told AFP, in comments reported by Folha de S.Paulo, that an intermediary transferred $150,000 through a U.S. account. The reports did not say whether the amounts described the same payment.
The Associated Press and Reuters, citing Brazilian sources, reported that Brazil called Argentina’s chargé d’affaires in to discuss the trip. Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno denied that his government received a formal request for explanations. EconoTimes previously covered pressure on President Javier Milei’s government over Bolsonaro’s transit through Argentina.
