Passport Surrender and Travel Ban for Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil
Following his defeat in the presidential elections in Brazil, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who is facing a money laundering investigation, left the country despite a court decision to seize his passport. The U.S. State Department confirmed that entry visas will be granted to Bolsonaro and his family.
Following the loss of the presidential election against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro left Brazil despite an ongoing money laundering investigation against him and a Supreme Court ruling ordering the seizure of his passport. Argentine immigration authorities reported that Bolsonaro and his family entered the Misiones province on Tuesday night and boarded a private flight from there to Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passport within 24 hours as part of the money laundering investigation. Although Bolsonaro initially stated that he would comply with the decision and had no plans to flee the country, his passports were canceled upon the expiration of the deadline. Brazilian President Lula da Silva described the departure as shameful, while Senator Rogerio Marinho from Bolsonaro's own Liberal Party stated that the development came as a surprise to them.
The U.S. State Department announced that entry visas would be granted to Bolsonaro and his family. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had heard reports of Bolsonaro being in Argentina and expressed support for granting him a visa. Assessment: Bolsonaro's contradictory statements regarding passport surrender and failure to comply with the legal process increase uncertainties regarding the course of the investigation.