Election fallout: Bolsonaro claims leadership role from Miami

Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Florida on Wednesday morning after leaving Brazil, where he has now declared himself the country's leader. He landed at Opa Locka Executive Airport near Miami with his family after President Donald Trump granted them visas. The senator lost the presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday by a 3.58% margin.

Bolsonaro departed Brazil after Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered the seizure of his passports on Monday. The order prohibited Bolsonaro from leaving the country. Bolsonaro stated in a video posted on social media that he was ordered to hand over his documents on the street. He said he initially planned to comply and defend himself against what he called an attempt to intimidate him.

The senator crossed into Argentina on Tuesday night with valid travel documentation, according to Argentina's National Directorate of Migrations. The family then traveled to Ecuador before boarding a private plane to the United States. Bolsonaro described his departure as a move to protect his family rather than a flight. He said in an open letter posted on X that he did not abandon the Brazilian people.

In that letter, Bolsonaro addressed his 60 million voters and the Brazilian public. He characterized the officials who managed the election as part of a criminal organization that established a tyranny. Earlier reports from Reuters noted that Bolsonaro initially called himself the elected president in a deleted post before updating the language to leader.

Brazil's financial markets reacted sharply to the election result. The Ibovespa index fell nearly 14% on Monday, the first trading day after the vote. The Brazilian real lost nearly 11% of its value against the U.S. dollar. President Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he would have approved of Bolsonaro's arrival in the U.S. He called the election strange and noted that it received bad reviews.

Brazil's Supreme Court ordered the Federal Police to open an investigation on Tuesday into alleged illegal foreign funding for Bolsonaro's campaign. The probe focuses on the Rockbridge Network, a conservative donor group co-founded by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Brazilian Federal Police requested the passport seizure order just seven minutes after the Superior Electoral Court confirmed Lula's victory, according to Brazilian news outlet MD+.

Lula described Bolsonaro's decision to leave the country as a shameful act. Bolsonaro cited a social media post by his brother Eduardo as the trigger for the passport order. Eduardo had suggested Flávio should leave if he lost. Bolsonaro is currently under multiple criminal investigations for money laundering, corruption, and tax evasion, according to the Folha de São Paulo.