Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has arrived in the United States with his wife and two daughters following his defeat in Sunday’s presidential election, amid concerns that he could face arrest in Brazil.
Television footage showed the family arriving at Opa-locka airport in Miami, later leaving the airport beneath umbrellas. A source close to Bolsonaro said he feared arrest over ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering, which he denies.
US President Donald Trump approved Bolsonaro’s entry, according to a presidential adviser, while US officials confirmed that visas were being issued to the family. Trump said he considered them “fine people” and described Brazil’s election as “very strange”.
Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports within 24 hours on Monday. Although there was no arrest warrant against him when he left, legal analysts said defying the court’s order could provide grounds for one.
The senator’s departure follows his defeat by left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s runoff. Bolsonaro is among several Brazilian conservatives now living in the US, including his brother Eduardo.
via CNN
