US Did Not Facilitate Flavio Bolsonaro’s Departure from Brazil, Marco Rubio Clarifies

Marco Rubio Denies Direct US Involvement in Flavio Bolsonaro’s Escape from Brazil

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington played no direct role in the arrangements for Flavio Bolsonaro to leave Brazil after losing the presidential run-off election. His clarification came as President Donald Trump expressed support for the Brazilian senator, saying he could remain in the United States for as long as he wished.

Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in the US with his family on Wednesday, following his defeat in Sunday’s election. His departure came at a time when he was facing multiple investigations in Brazil and a court had ordered the seizure of his passports.

Addressing a press conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, Rubio said Bolsonaro had already held a visa before travelling to the United States. He explained that Trump had taken the decision to permit his entry but insisted that American authorities had not directly helped organise his departure from Brazil.

“He had previously held a visa, and the president made a decision to allow him to enter the country,” Rubio said. He added that the US government was not directly involved in the arrangements Bolsonaro made to leave his country.

Reports link Trump adviser to chartered aircraft
According to reports, the 45-year-old senator travelled from Brazil through Argentina and Ecuador before arriving in the United States. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that the aircraft carrying the Bolsonaro family had been chartered by Jason Miller, an adviser to Trump.

The airline’s chief executive told AFP that the flight had been paid for by an intermediary using an account at a US bank. The White House has not publicly commented on the arrangements surrounding the journey.

Trump, however, has criticised the Brazilian election, calling it “disgraceful”. Speaking to journalists at his Florida residence on Saturday, he said he had no immediate plans to meet Bolsonaro but voiced sympathy for him.

“I think he got treated very shabbily. Very shabbily, so he can stay here as long as he wants,” Trump said.

Brazil seeks clarification from Argentina
Bolsonaro’s journey has also raised questions about Argentina’s involvement in the flight arrangements. A Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that Argentina’s diplomatic representative had been called for a routine meeting to explain the circumstances surrounding the flight.

The source said the meeting was intended to obtain clarification about the operation. Argentina’s foreign minister later rejected the claim, saying Brazil had not asked Buenos Aires to explain its role in the matter.

Flavio Bolsonaro alleges political persecution
After reaching the United States, Flavio Bolsonaro has continued to claim that he is Brazil’s legitimate leader. He has also maintained that his decision to leave the country was driven by what he described as political “persecution”.

His situation has drawn further attention because of the legal troubles facing his father, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. The former president is currently serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest after being convicted of plotting a coup following his defeat in the 2022 re-election contest.

Rubio’s remarks distinguish between Trump’s decision to allow Flavio Bolsonaro into the United States and the arrangements made for his departure from Brazil, which Washington says it did not directly organise.