U.S. denies direct role in Flavio Bolsonaro's flight from Brazil

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Washington was not directly involved in Flavio Bolsonaro’s arrangements to leave Brazil after his election loss, though he confirmed the former candidate entered the U.S. with a valid visa. Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil’s October 25 run-off vote, arrived in Florida on Wednesday with his family after a court ordered his passports seized amid multiple investigations. Rubio said President Donald Trump allowed his entry but that the U.S. government played no direct role in his travel plans. The 45-year-old fled via Argentina and Ecuador on a plane reportedly chartered by Trump adviser Jason Miller, with payment made from a U.S. bank account. Bolsonaro claims he is Brazil’s true leader and a victim of persecution, while his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, serves house arrest for plotting a coup.