Inside or outside Brazil, Bolsonaro is causing chaospublished at 18:18 GMT

18:18 GMT

Ione Wells
North America correspondent

Image source, EPA

Flávio Bolsonaro had promised to lead Brazil’s “opposition”. The question now is whether he tries to do that in absentia, with the backing of the US, or whether he leaves a void that another figure on the Brazilian right now fills.

There were some on the right who were concerned that his candidacy would spell chaos, given how his father’s presidency ended, and wanted a more moderate candidate.

Their fears are now coming true.

One man who voted for Bolsonaro, even though he wasn’t his first choice, just texted me to say this was a “very sad phase” in Brazil’s history.

“I had pinned my hopes on his team, believing they would steer the country toward a more sustainable path."

Image source, Getty Images

As we reported earlier, Flávio Bolsonaro's brother, Eduardo, moved to the US last year.

Since he has been away, he received a prison sentence in Brazil for trying to influence his father's coup trial.

Eduardo lobbied the Trump administration last year to impose tariffs on Brazil and sanction the judge leading the trial. He remains an active political campaigner, but has been camping out in the state of Texas to avoid arrest back home.

He has called the conviction "baseless" and said the judges were trying to stop him from running for election.

Ione Wells
North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Supreme Court judge who ordered the seizure of Flávio Bolsonaro’s passports - Alexandre de Moraes - is a real nemesis of the Bolsonaro family.

He was the judge who led the coup trial of Jair Bolsonaro, which led to his conviction and 27-year sentence last year. Donald Trump’s administration sanctioned Moraes last year in response to the trial.

Moraes had also previously ordered some social media accounts, including in the US, to be taken down for spreading disinformation. A row over this with Elon Musk once resulted in X temporarily being banned in Brazil.

Whenever I have been to rallies for either Jair or Flávio Bolsonaro over the years, there are often signs and chants saying things like “Moraes out” - or even images portraying him as a devil.

Supporters of the Bolsonaro family accuse Moraes of being authoritarian, and the Trump administration has previously accused him of “censorship” and “political persecutions".

Moraes’s defenders argue he has taken steps to protect Brazilian democracy.

But, there are also some Brazilians who are not fans at all of Bolsonaro but also feel really uncomfortable about some of Moraes’s sweeping investigations and heavy-handed sentences - that have led to allegations that the Supreme Court has become too politicised.

Brandon Drenon
US reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Flávio Bolsonaro has a few options to remain in the US legally, after his clandestine exit from Brazil.

He could try to apply for asylum, obtain a temporary work visa, or seek a green card, which would allow him to live and work in the US indefinitely

Each option has different hurdles and requirements, including:

• An asylum request - This could be hampered by Bolsonaro's possible Italian citizenship, since there is stricter criteria for people with dual citizenship.
• A green card - There are multiple ways to qualify for a green card, so it's unclear which path he would choose.
• A work visa - He could seek an EB-1A visa, intended for people with "extraordinary abilities", like an award for excellence. He could also apply for an EB-5 visa intended for foreign investors which would require a roughly $1m (£752,450) investment in the country or $800,000 in priority employment areas.

Camilla Costa
BBC News

Brazilian media has tracked Flávio Bolsonaro’s movement to the US multiple times over the course of the last few years, with most of the trips occurring in the months leading up to this year's presidential election.

According to Piauí magazine’s analysis of migration and aviation records, Bolsonaro travelled to the US 10 times between December 2024 and July 2026.

But most of these trips - six out of 10 - took place in 2026, in the months that Bolsonaro was preparing for his presidential campaign.

His agenda during the trips was unclear, but his brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, has been living in Texas since 2025.

An extraordinary moment for Brazilian politicspublished at 17:12 GMT

17:12 GMT

Ione Wells
North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

This is an extraordinary - and deeply divisive - moment for Brazilian politics.

A man who was tipped just weeks ago to be the next president has now fled the country - and it’s unclear if he’ll return.

Flávio Bolsonaro was not charged with any crime, although he was under investigation, but supporters of President Lula da Silva are decrying this as an attempt to flee justice.

Some, more buoyantly, are celebrating this news saying things like: “US, you can have him.”

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro supporters are accusing the Brazilian Supreme Court of political persecution and attempts to intimidate him.

Our North America correspondent Ione Wells has been closely following this developing story - from the moment Bolsonaro lost the Brazilian presidential election on Sunday to this morning's confirmation that he had landed in Florida with his family.

Here, you can watch Ione outline everything that we know, and crucially, still don't know about his wild journey - including where he might go next.

Image source, Getty Images

Flávio Bolsonaro's arrival to the US has left many baffled.

He lost the presidential election on Sunday, was then told to surrender his passport - which he failed to do - and then he left Brazil for Argentina on Tuesday.

From Argentina he and his family then made their way to Ecuador, to finally land in the US this morning.

As of today, he is yet to concede his election loss.

Instead, he's asked that the results be annulled, complaining of possible foul-play due to an extension of polling hours in Brazil that was requested by both his own party and his opponent, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Ione Wells
North America correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Flávio Bolsonaro - who was seen landing in Florida this morning - is not the first member of his family to travel to the United States.

Jair Bolsonaro, his father, also left Brazil for Florida in December 2022 before his successor, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was inaugurated.

He was still in the US when his supporters stormed Brazil’s government buildings and Supreme Court on 8 January. He later used his absence as part of his defense in his coup trial, which led to a conviction and 27-year sentence.

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Flávio’s brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, also lives in the state of Texas. Last year, he said he would take leave from Brazil's Congress and stay there indefinitely.

He later lobbied US officials about the coup trial of his father, which led to the US imposing punitive tariffs on Brazil and sanctions on key officials.

Image source, Getty Images

Flávio Bolsonaro is the subject of two investigations currently pending before Brazil's Supreme Federal Court.

One regarding possible irregularities in the transfer of nearly $70 million from private bank Banco Master to the film Dark Horse – a biopic of Flávio’s father and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.

The second investigation relates to alleged money laundering, both of which Bolsonaro denies.

The presidential candidate is set to lose his parliamentary immunity on 31 January, when his eight-year Senate term ends.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he would support Bolsonaro's travel to the US.

"I would approve. I think they're fine people," he told reporters.

Bolsonaro has still not admitted defeat in Sunday's presidential election, which saw incumbent left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reelected. Trump seemed to back Bolsonaro's previous claims that there were problems with how the election was conducted.

"The election was really strange and I thought it was terrible," Trump told reporters.

Separately, the US state department told the BBC on Tuesday, the administration will issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family, who arrived to an airport near Miami, Florida earlier today.

Newly reelected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed Bolsonaro's departure from Brazil on Tuesday, calling it 'shameful'.

His comments came as Bolsonaro's whereabouts were still unclear. As we now know, the defeated candidate left Brazil Tuesday by way of Argentina, and has now landed near Miami, Florida.

"Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear," Lula said.

If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know:

• Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has landed and cleared US customs near Miami, Florida after losing the country's presidential election on Sunday
• He travelled with his family late Tuesday night from Argentina, stopping in Ecuador to refuel his plane, and then made his way to the US today
• The family left Brazil after the Supreme Court ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports as part of a money laundering investigation. He has not been charged with a crime, but he did not surrender his documents
• The US state department has said it will issue visas for him and his family - though it's unclear what kind of visas they will get
• Newly reelected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has criticised Bolsonaro's departure and said "those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear"

Where has Bolsonaro been?published at 14:40 GMT

14:40 GMT

Image source, Flightradar24

By Thomas Copeland and Jake Horton

Flavio Bolsonaro has not taken a straightforward route to the US, and BBC Verify has been tracking how he got there since leaving Brazil yesterday.

According to Argentina's National Directorate of Migration, Bolsonaro crossed into the country over land late on Tuesday night local time, where he then boarded a plane with three family members.

Tracking data from Flightradar24 shows a Gulfstream G400 departed Puerto Iguazu in Argentina at 03:18 GMT on Wednesday to head to Guayaquil in Ecuador.

This matches the Argentinian authorities’ statement, which said Bolsonaro and his family "boarded a private flight dispatched by the company Baires Fly S.A. with a destination to the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador".

The same private jet then departed Guayaquil at around 09:00 GMT, landing at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport just before 13:30 GMT where Bolsonaro was pictured getting off it.

This post has been updated to reflect that three family members were on board the plane, not four.

Bolsonaro's route to Miami was by no means direct.

According to Argentina’s migration authority, Bolsonaro and his family travelled south to Argentina, and crossed the border by land on Tuesday at 22:50 local time (21:50 EDT/01:50 GMT).

His plane then flew to Guayaquil - Ecuador's largest city - to refuel before he and his family departed for Miami.

Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America and Caribbean editor

Image source, REUTERS/Eva Marie Uzcategui

We know that three people were with Flávio Bolsonaro when he crossed the border from Brazil into Argentina.

It is one of the few details given in the post on X by Argentine migration authorities, which listed the names of those who had travelled with him.

They are his wife Fernanda, and his two daughters, Luiza and Carolina.

One of his daughters can be seen getting out of the plane behind him.

We can now bring you some more images of Bolsonaro arriving Florida this morning, alongside his wife, Fernanda, and two daughters.

Image source, Getty Images

Bolsonaro was later seen exiting US customs, with his image blocked from the media by strategically held umbrellas.

Image source, Reuters

Ione Wells
North America correspondent

Image source, Reuters

After stepping off the plane in Florida, Flávio Bolsonaro was swarmed with photographers as his team covered him with umbrellas.

We understand he travelled to the US with his family.

Crucially, we don't know if this is his final destination - or if he intends to travel onwards.

Before we saw him in Florida, he hadn't been seen in two days, after losing the election in Brazil on Sunday. So this does end some speculation on his whereabouts.