Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has landed in the US after fleeing Brazil following defeat in the country’s presidential election on Sunday.
TV footage showed him stepping out of a plane at Miami’s Opa-locka airport with his wife and two daughters. The family were later pictured leaving the airport hiding under umbrellas.
A Brazilian source close to Bolsonaro said that the politician had feared arrest in Brazil. He is currently under investigation by the country’s highest court for alleged acts of corruption and money laundering.
President Donald Trump approved allowing Bolsonaro entry into the United States following his election loss, a Trump adviser told CNN.
Trump administration officials were aware on Monday that Bolsonaro had roughly 24 hours to surrender his passport and made clear to the defeated Brazilian presidential candidate that he would be allowed entry in the US, the adviser said.
The US is issuing visas to Bolsonaro and his family, two US officials earlier told CNN.
Speaking to reporters overnight, Trump indicated he would agree to Bolsonaro coming to the US.
“Well, I would approve. I think they’re fine people. The election was very strange, and I thought it was terrible,” he said.
It is currently unclear whether Trump and Bolsonaro spoke directly by phone prior the Brazilian politician’s departure.
Sources earlier confirmed to CNN that Bolsonaro had left Brazil for the US after losing Sunday’s presidential election runoff against leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil’s Federal Police canceled Bolsonaro’s passports after he failed to surrender them, affiliate CNN Brasil reported. (CNN)