Bolsonaro and family to get US visas after Brazil election loss

Flávio Bolsonaro and his family members will receive United States visas. A senior State Department official announced this on Tuesday. This decision comes after Bolsonaro lost the presidential election held over the weekend. The loss ended a streak of conservative victories in Latin America.

The official spoke under the condition of anonymity due to privacy laws. They stated that the department would issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family. They will be permitted to enter the United States.

Bolsonaro had been under investigation in Brazil. The probes cover suspected corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. Authorities had ordered him to surrender his passport. The deadline to turn in his ordinary and diplomatic passports expired at noon on Tuesday. It is unknown if he complied with that requirement.

Rogério Marinho, Bolsonaro's campaign chief, said he had not spoken to the candidate since Tuesday morning. Marinho received a text message from Bolsonaro. The message said Bolsonaro wanted to take a break before talking to them. That was the only communication Marinho received.

Bolsonaro's brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, lives in Texas. He had publicly encouraged his brother to leave Brazil if he lost the election. Eduardo was sentenced to four years in prison in June. The conviction was for illegal lobbying before the Trump government. An arrest warrant was recently issued against him.

Flávio Bolsonaro visited the White House in May. He has cited his relationship with President Donald Trump. Trump did not openly back Bolsonaro in the runoff against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. On Monday, Trump suggested the Brazilian election was rigged. He offered no evidence for this claim.

Lula turned 81 on Tuesday. He received more than 64 million votes. Bolsonaro received fewer than 60 million. The gap was nearly 4 percent. Outside the presidential residence in Brasilia, Lula said he believed Bolsonaro had left Brazil. He called the country the second home of the Bolsonaro family. He said the first was kissing American boots.

Bolsonaro said in a video that he did not plan to leave the country. He said he would surrender his passports and defend himself. He called the passport order an attempt to intimidate him. He has not admitted defeat. He has accused the election of fraud without providing proof.

To overturn the result, Bolsonaro must present evidence of fraud. He needs to convince the eight members of the electoral tribunal. The certification of results is scheduled for December 18. His eight-year term as a senator ends on January 31, 2027. That date will also remove his special legal immunity before the Supreme Federal Court.

Bolsonaro is being investigated in two cases by the Supreme Court. One case alleges he used a sports betting firm to launder pension deductions. The other alleges he accepted millions of dollars from a disgraced banker. He has denied irregularities in both cases. He claims the judge leading one investigation is an ally of Lula.

Prosecutors suspect the banker's funds paid expenses for Eduardo Bolsonaro. They also believe the money promoted Flávio Bolsonaro's political agenda before the Trump government. A close ally, Paulo Figueiredo, lives in the United States. He said he had no desire to speak to the press at that moment. He asked reporters not to insist on a comment.