US State Secretary: Trump Administration Did Not Help Bolsonaro Flee Brazil to US

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has clarified that the Donald Trump administration did not facilitate the departure of former Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro from Brazil to the United States. Bolsonaro, who lost a run-off election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was under investigation in Brazil for alleged corruption.

Highlights

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Trump administration was not directly involved in Bolsonaro's move to the US from Brazil.
• Bolsonaro is facing investigations in Brazil for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion.
• He had been ordered to surrender his passport due to being deemed a flight risk.
• US President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for Bolsonaro, stating he could stay in the US "as long as he wants."
• Bolsonaro was reportedly admitted to the US under humanitarian parole.

Details

Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, following his election loss on October 25. The US Department of State had previously announced that Bolsonaro and his family would be granted US visas. Before leaving Brazil, Bolsonaro had been ordered to surrender his passport by police, who considered him a flight risk.

Rubio told reporters in Atlanta on Saturday that the US government was not "involved directly in any of the moves that were made." He added, "We didn’t facilitate anything." Rubio noted that they had received word of Bolsonaro's arrival in the United States, that he previously held a visa, and that the President made the decision to allow him to enter the country.

Separately, US President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for Bolsonaro during a press conference at his Florida residence on Saturday. Trump stated, "I think he got treated very shabbily, very shabbily, so he can stay here as long as he wants." The Reuters news agency reported that Bolsonaro was admitted to the US under humanitarian parole, a status that typically lasts for one year.

Why it matters

This development suggests that relations between the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, the US and Brazil, may remain strained for some time. Bolsonaro's claims of a rigged election and his indefinite stay in the US could influence diplomatic dynamics between the two nations. Furthermore, the situation of a former presidential candidate seeking refuge and political support in another country sets a significant precedent in international relations.