Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro lands in Miami after election defeat

Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro lands in Miami after election defeat

The Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate arrived in Miami with his wife and two daughters after refusing to concede defeat in Sunday's election and defying a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports.

Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro has arrived in the United States with his family after fleeing Brazil, days after rejecting the outcome of Sunday's presidential election and vowing to challenge the results.

Bolsonaro and his family landed in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday morning, following a journey across South America that drew regional attention.

His plan to leave Brazil became public late Tuesday, shortly after he refused to concede defeat in the election.

Bolsonaro had also defied a Brazilian Supreme Court order to surrender his passports in connection with a money-laundering investigation, in which he denies wrongdoing. The US State Department later said it would grant him and his family visas.

Bolsonaro, his wife and two daughters were seen disembarking from a Gulfstream G400 aircraft before heading into Miami-Opa Locka Airport on Wednesday morning.

The family first flew to Argentina late Tuesday before boarding another private jet to the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil. From there, they continued their journey to Miami.

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Bolsonaro is set to lose his immunity from prosecution in February when his Senate term ends. On Monday, however, he had said in an Instagram post that he had no intention of leaving Brazil.

He vowed to "hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me."

According to the AFP news agency, Bolsonaro also holds Italian citizenship, allowing him to travel despite the cancellation of his Brazilian and diplomatic passports.

His departure and arrival in Florida mirror the move made by his father, Jair Bolsonaro, following Brazil's previous presidential elections. The latest development could further strain relations between the two most populous countries in the Americas.

During the election campaign, incumbent Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of colluding with the Bolsonaro family to help them return to power.

Following the election results, Trump appeared to question the integrity of the vote, saying he thought the extension of voting times was a "very bad look."

Trump had previously alleged that Jair Bolsonaro was a victim of judicial persecution in Brazil.

The former Brazilian president is currently in jail facing charges of leading a conspiracy to remain in power despite losing the 2022 presidential election.