Argentina Says Flávio Bolsonaro and Family Took Flight Bound for Ecuador After Leaving Brazil

Argentina's immigration authorities have confirmed that Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and his family entered the country before boarding a private aircraft with a flight plan bound for Ecuador, providing new official details about the defeated presidential candidate's departure from Brazil.

Argentina's Migration Department said on Wednesday, October 28, that Bolsonaro and his family crossed into the country using valid travel documents at the Tancredo Neves International Bridge in Misiones province.

According to the department, they subsequently boarded a private flight scheduled to travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Tuesday.

The announcement is the clearest official account yet of part of Bolsonaro's journey after he left Brazil following his defeat in Sunday's presidential runoff election.

It does not establish that the aircraft landed in Ecuador or that Bolsonaro and his family remain there.

The senator's ultimate destination and current whereabouts have not been independently confirmed.

Earlier reporting by Reuters, citing sources familiar with his movements, indicated that Bolsonaro had left Brazil for the United States.

One source close to his family said he had arrived in Florida, although that information was not independently established.

Argentina's latest account provides a documented route through another South American country and raises further questions about his final destination.

The development follows a statement from the United States State Department that Washington would issue visas to Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters, allowing them to enter the country.

US President Donald Trump also said on Wednesday that he approved of Bolsonaro coming to the United States.

Speaking to reporters after returning from a campaign trip to Texas, Trump said he had heard that Bolsonaro was in Argentina.

His remarks expressed political support but did not establish Bolsonaro's whereabouts or confirm that he had entered the United States.

Bolsonaro's departure has become controversial because he left Brazil after failing to comply with a Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports in connection with a money-laundering investigation.

The senator denies wrongdoing and has described the investigation as politically motivated.

Reuters previously reported that his passports had been cancelled after the court deadline expired, citing sources familiar with the matter.

However, Argentina's immigration authorities said the family presented valid travel documents when entering the country. The legal status and circumstances of the documents used during the journey require further clarification.

Bolsonaro lost Sunday's presidential runoff to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by more than four million votes.

He has not formally conceded and has called for the result to be annulled over alleged irregularities, although his Liberal Party has acknowledged Lula's victory.

No substantiated evidence sufficient to overturn the result has been established.

Lula has criticised Bolsonaro's departure, arguing that the senator should remain in Brazil and defend himself through the country's legal process.

The case has introduced a new diplomatic dimension to Brazil's post-election political tensions, particularly because of Washington's willingness to grant visas to the defeated candidate and his family.

Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, also travelled to the United States after losing the 2022 presidential election.

For Brazilian authorities, the immediate questions concern the senator's current location, whether he violated any enforceable judicial restrictions and what legal steps may follow.

The Argentine immigration statement confirms a border crossing and a declared flight destination. It does not establish an asylum request, a completed journey to Ecuador or entry into the United States.

Until further official information emerges, those distinctions remain essential to accurately reporting the case.