Flávio Bolsonaro reacts after dropping Brazil’s presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília on October 25, 2026.

Ton Molina/Getty Images South America

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Ton Molina/Getty Images South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The United States says it will situation visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his household, amid a number of reports that the defeated Brazilian presidential candidate has left the nation following Sunday’s election. His whereabouts have not been independently confirmed.

Bolsonaro, a conservative politician and ally of President Donald Trump, lost Sunday’s presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by more than 4 million votes, just three weeks after successful the first spherical. While Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party has since acknowledged Lula’s victory, Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat.

On Tuesday a senior U.S. administration official said that the State Department would situation visas to Bolsonaro and his household, permitting them to enter the nation.

The visa announcement comes as Bolsonaro faces a number of investigations in Brazil, including allegations of cash laundering and tax evasion, which he denies. On Monday Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered him to give up his passports within 24 hours and barred him from leaving the nation.

The order adopted feedback by Bolsonaro’s brother Eduardo, who lives in self-imposed exile in Florida, suggesting Flávio should depart Brazil if he lost the election.

In a video launched that day, Bolsonaro said federal cops had stopped him outside the dwelling of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, and ordered him to give up his passports. The former far-right chief is under home arrest after being sentenced to 27 years in jail for plotting a coup following his own defeat by Lula in the 2022 presidential election.

“I never thought about leaving the country,” Flávio Bolsonaro said in the video. “I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this aberration.” He described the order as an try to intimidate him.

On Tuesday, Brazilian media reported that Bolsonaro had left for the United States. His marketing campaign supervisor, his lawyer and other political allies had earlier said they did not know his whereabouts.

Lula won the election with just over 51% of the legitimate votes, or roughly 64.2 million, in contrast with more than 48%, or almost 59.8 million, for Bolsonaro.

President Trump has repeatedly forged doubt on Lula’s victory, suggesting on Monday that the election was “rigged”, with out providing any proof. He returned to the topic at a marketing campaign rally in Texas on Tuesday night time, as he accused Democrats of election fraud.

“Brazil is also doing a good job of it, aren’t they? Did you see that? I didn’t take sides, but it didn’t look very good,” he said.

Lula criticised Bolsonaro’s reported departure during celebrations for his 81st birthday in Brasília on Tuesday.

“Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear,” Lula advised supporters.

“He could have stayed and proven that the accusations [against him] are not true,” Lula said, including that he regretted Bolsonaro’s departure.

He also took goal at the Bolsonaro household’s shut ties to the Trump administration. “Brazil is their second home; their first home is the United States,” he said.