Kathmandu. The Supreme Court of Brazil has banned Flavio Bolsonaro from traveling abroad. He has been ordered to surrender his passport within 24 hours. But after non-compliance, his passport was cancelled.
A senior official of the US State Department said that Flavio and his family will be issued visas and allowed to enter the US, according to the BBC. This incident has created a new controversy in Brazilian political circles.
Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Morais ordered Flavio not to leave the country on Monday while the money laundering investigation is ongoing. Also, he was instructed to hand over his passport to the police within 24 hours.
The relationship and possible financial transactions between Flavio and the lawyer Willer Tomaz are being investigated. Flavio has been denying the allegations against him.
Right-wing candidate Bolsonaro was defeated by left-wing rival Lula in Brazil’s presidential election held on Sunday. Although the election results have been announced, Bolsonaro has not yet accepted defeat.
Flavio’s father and former president Jair Bolsonaro also went to America after losing to Lula in the 2022 election. He later returned to Brazil and is currently under house arrest under a 27-year prison sentence for trying to seize power after the 2022 election.
Flavio posted a video on social media on Monday and said that he has no intention of leaving Brazil. He said that he would comply with the court order and submit his passport and continue to work as a political opposition against the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
According to Reuters, the news that Flavio left Brazil and went to America has been published. However, no clear details about the route through which he reached America have been made public.
If there is nothing to hide then there is no need to be afraid: President
Brazilian President Lula commented on the news that Flavio left the country and called it “shameful”. He recalled that he was staying in the country when he was defeated in the election and said, “If there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear.”
Lula made this comment while speaking at a birthday event held in Brasilia. Mentioning that he also suffered defeat in the election but did not leave the country, he said, “I also lost in the election, but I stayed in Brazil.”
Taking a dig at Bolsonaro, who was accused of leaving the country immediately after losing the election, he said, ‘I keep thinking about the guilt in the hearts of citizens who have just lost the election and fled the country.’
Lula accused Bolsonaro of staying in the country and proving the allegations against him false, but did not do so. “I submitted all the documents to the election court to give him an opportunity to prove his honesty,” said Lula. Accusing Bolsonaro of not handing over documents, Lula said he was one of the most liars he had ever seen.
Lula recalled that he was also once asked to surrender his passport and that he complied with the court’s order. In 2018, he said that he surrendered his passport after he lost his appeal on bribery and corruption charges. “Bolsonaro should have done the same,” said Lula, “Brazil is his second homeland, the first is to work for America.”
Leaving the country is not considered a fugitive
Criminal law experts have said that although Flavio is accused of violating the court order, he cannot legally be called a fugitive.
According to the experts who spoke to BBC Brazil, a person can only be considered a fugitive if an arrest warrant has been issued against him and he is required to appear for its execution.
Violation of the court order can be a basis for legal action. According to the Penal Code of Brazil, the crime of disobeying government orders is punishable by detention and fines.
Flavio’s brother Eduardo Bolsonaro had also suggested him to go to America if he lost the election. Eduardo has been living in Texas since 2025.
After the controversy regarding Flavio’s foreign travel, the court order and the US administration’s announcement that the visa will be granted, it is seen that the political tension between Brazil and the US may increase.