Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro has reportedly arrived in the US despite a judicial travel ban, with Brazilian media saying his brother Eduardo met him in Miami after helping arrange his departure.
The Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported on Tuesday, citing family allies, that Bolsonaro arrived on a flight to Miami, where he was received by Eduardo, who allegedly helped coordinate his departure with US authorities.
Eduardo, who lives in Texas, travelled to Florida with his wife and children to welcome his brother and his family, according to the report.
Speculation about Bolsonaro's whereabouts swirled all day, even as the US State Department said it would grant him and his family visas, as the senator faces multiple investigations in his home country.
The developments came after Brazil's Federal Police cancelled Bolsonaro's regular and diplomatic passports on Tuesday when he failed to comply with a court order requiring him to surrender the documents within 24 hours.
Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the order on Monday, a day after Bolsonaro lost the presidential runoff to incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
From fighting to fleeing
The restrictions stem from an investigation into suspected money laundering and currency evasion involving financial transactions linked to attorney Willer Tomaz, an associate of Bolsonaro.
The senator is also under investigation in a separate case involving the financing of Dark Horse, a biographical film about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Authorities are examining alleged payments connected to Daniel Vorcaro, the former owner of the now-defunct financial institution Banco Master.
Bolsonaro, who denies any wrongdoing, said Monday that he had no intention of leaving Brazil.
"I have never thought about leaving the country. I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty," he said, describing the judicial order as "a clear attempt to intimidate me."
He made the remarks after visiting his father, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest in Brasilia.
President Lula criticised his defeated rival's reported departure Tuesday, calling it "shameful" and suggesting that Bolsonaro had fled to avoid facing justice.
"He could have stayed and proven that the accusations against him are not true," Lula said. "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. A citizen who sneaks out of their own country does so because they have something to hide."
