Flávio Bolsonaro Declares Himself Brazil’s Rightful Leader After Landing in Miami

Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro declared himself his country’s rightful leader Wednesday after landing in Miami, days after losing Brazil’s presidential runoff to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro, his wife Fernanda and their family arrived at Opa-locka Executive Airport near Miami after President Donald Trump approved U.S. visas for them, Reuters reported.

In an open letter shared by his allies, Bolsonaro accused Lula and Brazil’s Supreme Court of an “electoral coup” and thanked Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei for helping him leave the country and for welcoming him.

“I want to say, not only to my 60 million voters but to the Brazilian people, that I am the elected president and that the criminals who stole Brazil’s election are part of a criminal organization that has established a tyranny,” he wrote, according to the New York Post.

Reuters reported that Bolsonaro first posted the letter on X calling himself “the elected president,” then deleted it and replaced it with a version that called him Brazil’s rightful “leader” instead.

Fight Over Extended Voting Hours

Bolsonaro’s challenge rests on a Lula-appointed Supreme Court justice’s decision to extend voting by two hours Sunday after Lula’s campaign alleged voter suppression in left-leaning northeastern states.

Bolsonaro’s own campaign also sought an extension because of rain in conservative southern states. He lost by about 4.5 million votes, and fewer than 35,000 ballots were cast during the extra two hours, according to an analysis by Insper professor Pedro Burgos.

Bolsonaro did not provide evidence of fraud. International observers found the vote fair, and Lula’s win has been recognized by Brazil’s federal electoral court, foreign leaders and Bolsonaro’s own Liberal Party.

Electoral court chief Kassio Nunes Marques said in a statement that the election took place in full compliance with legal and constitutional requirements. He did not mention Bolsonaro’s letter.

Trump has questioned the result. On Monday he said the runoff “looked like another rigged election” and called it “very strange,” citing the extended hours, Politico reported. He offered no evidence and said he had not taken sides.

Trump later said he approved of Bolsonaro coming to the United States, CNBC reported. Asked about Bolsonaro’s declaration at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, Trump declined to comment and repeated that it was “a very strange election.”

Bolsonaro left Brazil after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports. The order is tied to a money-laundering investigation in which he denies wrongdoing.

“I want to make this clear: I did not flee Brazil,” Bolsonaro wrote. “I left Brazil, but I did not abandon the Brazilian people.” He said he left to protect his family from what he called a witch hunt.

Lula said this week it was “shameful” that Bolsonaro did not stay in Brazil to prove his innocence. Lula’s office and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the letter.

The standoff puts Washington in an awkward spot. Lula has accused the U.S. of colluding with the Bolsonaro family, a charge Washington denies, while Trump has called the senator’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, a victim of judicial persecution.

The elder Bolsonaro also traveled to the U.S. after refusing to concede to Lula in 2022. He later returned to Brazil and was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.

Analysts told Reuters that Flávio Bolsonaro’s bid to annul the result has little chance of success. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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