Bolsonaro allies find political refuge in the US
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami three days after losing Sunday's presidential election, joining allies of the Bolsonaro movement who have sought refuge in the US while facing legal troubles at home. He left after a Supreme Court order barred him from leaving Brazil. Flávio Bolsonaro faces investigations for alleged corruption and money laundering, and his Senate term ends January 31, 2027. He released a statement declaring himself "leader of Brazil," repeating unsubstantiated fraud claims and vowing to lead opposition from the US, thanking President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei. The US hosts about two million Brazilians, a historically conservative community, and connections between Brazilian and American conservative elites deepened during the overlapping presidencies of Jair Bolsonaro and Trump. Political scientist Teresa Cristina Schneider Marques says exile has become a strategy for transnational projection, though the move's timing may raise costs for the movement.