Flavio Bolsonaro flees to US after Brazil election loss, vows to challenge Lula's win
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro fled to the United States after losing Sunday's presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, an ally confirmed Tuesday, following a court order to surrender his passports in a money-laundering investigation. Brazilian authorities cancelled his passports after he missed the deadline, and he has not formally conceded defeat, vowing to challenge the result over alleged voter irregularities. His Liberal Party, however, acknowledged Lula's victory, who won by nearly 4.4 million votes. The move mirrors his father Jair Bolsonaro's 2022 trip to the US after refusing to concede, later returning to face a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup. Analysts warn false fraud claims remain dangerous, though overturning the result requires court approval before certification on December 18.