Rubio Says US Was Not Directly Involved in Flavio Bolsonaro’s Departure from Brazil

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Washington had no direct involvement in arrangements for Flavio Bolsonaro to leave Brazil following his election defeat, while President Donald Trump said the Brazilian senator could remain in the United States “as long as he wants.”

Bolsonaro, who lost his presidential bid in Sunday’s run-off election, arrived in the US with his family on Wednesday. His departure came as Brazilian authorities pursued multiple investigations and a court ordered the seizure of his passports.

“He had previously held a visa, and the president made a decision to allow him to enter the country,” Rubio told reporters in Atlanta, Georgia, where he hosted G20 foreign ministers for a two-day meeting.

Rubio stressed that “the US government was not involved directly” in the arrangements Bolsonaro made to leave Brazil.

The 45-year-old reportedly travelled through Argentina and Ecuador before reaching the United States. US media outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, reported that the aircraft used for the journey had been chartered by Jason Miller, an adviser to Trump.

The head of the airline told AFP that the flight carrying the Bolsonaro family was paid for by an intermediary using a US bank account.

The White House has not commented on the flight. Trump, however, has criticised Brazil’s election, describing it as “disgraceful.”

Speaking to reporters at his Florida residence on Saturday, Trump said he had no plans to meet Bolsonaro but expressed sympathy for the Brazilian politician.

“I think he got treated very shabbily. Very shabbily, so he can stay here as long as he wants,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, a Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that Argentina’s diplomatic representative had been summoned for a “routine meeting” to provide explanations about the flight.

Argentina’s foreign minister subsequently denied that Brazil had requested an explanation from Buenos Aires regarding its role in the operation.

Since arriving in the United States, Bolsonaro has claimed to be Brazil’s legitimate leader and said he left the country because he was facing “persecution.”

His father, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest over a conviction for plotting a coup following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.