Flavio Bolsonaro declares himself Brazil's legitimate president from US exile

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who fled to the United States, declared himself the legitimate leader of Brazil on Wednesday, October 28, claiming he was a victim of an "electoral coup" by the Supreme Court and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won re-election by over 4 million votes. Bolsonaro arrived in Miami after secretly leaving Brazil, defying a Supreme Court order to surrender his passport amid a money laundering investigation. He thanked Argentine leader Javier Milei and US President Donald Trump for assistance, and posted on X that he was the "elected president" before revising it to call himself the legitimate "leader." Lula's victory was recognized by Brazil's Federal Electoral Court, international observers, and Bolsonaro's own party. Bolsonaro denied fleeing, saying he left to protect his family from a "witch hunt," while election officials confirmed the vote met all legal and constitutional requirements.