Bolsonaro claims Brazil election was stolen after losing runoff

Flavio Bolsonaro, Brazil’s defeated right-wing presidential candidate, has claimed he is his country’s rightful leader after losing a runoff election and fleeing to the United States. Bolsonaro, 45, arrived in Florida earlier Wednesday in a private jet at Opa-Locka Executive Airport near Miami.

Bolsonaro accused election officials of fraud, calling them part of a 'criminal organisation' that has established a 'tyranny.' He later revised his statement, claiming he is the 'leader,' rather than the 'president.'

Rogerio Marinho, the leader of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party in the Senate, told reporters in Brasília that he was in 'solidarity' with the former candidate, describing him as a 'political exile.' However, he distanced himself from Bolsonaro’s statement, and refused to back up Bolsonaro’s claims of electoral fraud. 'The Liberal Party cannot make that claim,' he said. 'There is no evidence of that.'

The US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the Bolsonaro family members were inspected and cleared 'with applicable immigration laws and procedures.' A police source told AFP that Bolsonaro’s Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been cancelled, but the senator has also held Italian nationality since 2023, according to Italian documents seen by AFP.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won Sunday’s election with 51.8% of the vote, called Bolsonaro’s departure a 'shameful' act. Brazilian police issued a statement Wednesday saying that he was not considered a fugitive.

Bolsonaro is under investigation in his home country over alleged corruption and money laundering. The most high-profile fraud case against Bolsonaro in Brazil centres on the unreleased biopic 'Dark Horse' starring US actor Jim Caviezel as Flavio’s father Jair. In May, the outlet Intercept Brasil revealed audio recordings in which Flavio Bolsonaro negotiated approximately $24 million (€21.56 million) to finance the film with banker Daniel Vorcaro, who is jailed over one of Brazil’s biggest-ever fraud cases.