US Visa for Bolsonaro Son Echoes Shah Admission, Straining Brazil Ties
The United States has issued entry visas to Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro after his election defeat, a decision that risks deepening tensions with Brazil and revives questions about Washington admitting politically embattled foreign figures. The move follows his loss to incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on October 25. Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, left Brazil despite a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports amid a money-laundering investigation, which he denies. He reportedly reached Miami by October 28, and the State Department confirmed visas for him and his family, while Lula called his departure shameful. The episode echoes the 1979 admission of Iran's deposed Shah, which preceded the 444-day hostage crisis, though a visa is not asylum. President Donald Trump has expressed sympathy for the Bolsonaro family, and Brazil's government accuses Washington of interfering in its politics.