Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has arrived in Miami after fleeing Brazil following his presidential election defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
According to The Guardian, Bolsonaro landed at Miami-Opa Locka airport on Wednesday aboard a private jet after travelling through Argentina and Ecuador.
The far-right politician, who lost Sunday’s election, left the airport under police escort without speaking to reporters.
His departure comes despite a Brazilian Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports and prohibiting him from leaving the country.
Bolsonaro is under investigation in two criminal cases, including allegations involving a suspected £680 million money-laundering scheme linked to betting companies.
Brazilian authorities are facing criticism over how he managed to leave the country despite the restrictions.
US President Donald Trump said he would approve Bolsonaro and his family’s move to the United States.
“They’re fine people. The election was very strange, and I thought it was terrible,” Trump told reporters.
Meanwhile, Lula condemned his defeated rival’s departure, describing it as “shameful”.
Bolsonaro reportedly travelled with his wife and two daughters, boarding a private aircraft in Argentina before stopping in Ecuador.
Brazilian media reported that his departure had been planned weeks before the election, with his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro allegedly helping organise the arrangements.
