Rubio says US was not involved in Flávio Bolsonaro's escape from Brazil
"We had word that he had arrived in the United States. He had previously held a visa, and the president made a decision to allow him to enter the country," Rubio explained, before adding that "the U.S. government was not involved directly" in Flávio Bolsonaro's departure from Brazil.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a file photo
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Saturday that Washington did not intervene directly in the escape of Flávio Bolsonaro's from Brazil following his electoral defeat last Sunday.
Flávio Bolsonaro—who lost his bid for the presidency in the second round of Brazil's presidential election held on October 24— arrived in the United States with his family on Wednesday after a court ordered him to surrender his passports as part of the multiple investigations he faces—which he and his allies describe as political persecution.
"We had word that he had arrived in the United States. He had previously held a visa, and the president made a decision to allow him to enter the country," Rubio explained at a press conference held in Atlanta. "The U.S. government was not involved directly" in Bolsonaro's departure from his country, he added.
World
Flávio Bolsonaro's escape flight paid for by US intermediary, plane's owner reveals
Virginia Martínez
The 45-year-old candidate fled Brazil via Argentina and Ecuador on a plane that, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, was chartered by Jason Miller, an advisor to President Donald Trump.
The plane that transported the former Brazilian candidate to the United States was paid for by an intermediary from a U.S. bank account, the airline's director told AFP.
The White House has not commented on the flight, but Trump has described the Brazilian elections as "shameful". Some media outlets have backed those claims. For example, the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal warned that, in fact, Brazil is heading down a dangerous path where the justice system is being used as a weapon to persecute dissent and highlighted the case of Flávio Bolsonaro as one of many that ends in exile, following the departure of dozens of conservative journalists, politicians, and influencers who left the country for fear of judicial reprisals.
"Mr. Bolsonaro hasn’t been charged with a crime. But he has good reason to believe that he can’t get a fair trial if he is. Lula said at a campaign debate that as soon as Mr. Bolsonaro no longer had congressional immunity, he’d face all manner of investigations. Lula chose the man and promised to find the crime," the WSJ editorial board snapped.
A Brazilian diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the diplomatic representative of Argentina had been summoned to a "routine meeting" to "provide explanations" regarding the flight.
Argentina's foreign minister later denied that Brazil had asked his government for an explanation regarding its role in the escape.
Since his arrival in the United States, Flávio Bolsonaro has claimed to be the true leader of Brazil and has stated that he left the country because he was the victim of a witch hunt.
Flávio Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup d'état following his defeat in the 2022 elections.
With information from AFP
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