Flavio Bolsonaro flees Brazil, claims political persecution

Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro fled to the United States via Argentina and Ecuador, claiming he left to escape political persecution after a court ordered him to surrender his passport in a money-laundering investigation. The conservative senator, who lost last Sunday's runoff to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, described a tearful conversation with his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest. Flavio maintains unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud despite his party recognizing the result. His departure has strained Brazil's diplomatic relations with Argentina and the US, with President Lula calling the move "embarrassing." Flavio has left open the possibility of another presidential bid before 2030.