Flavio Bolsonaro seeks to establish himself in the United States and promises to keep contesting political power in Brazil

WASHINGTON.– Brazilian senator and former presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro stated that he plans to apply for permanent residency in the United States, where he has remained since late October after leaving Brazil following his electoral defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The right-wing leader claimed he fears becoming a victim of political persecution if he returns to his country and asserted that he will continue to lead his political movement from abroad. In an interview with the American outlet The Epoch Times, Bolsonaro maintained that his stay in the United States will allow him to remain actively involved in Brazilian politics. "From here I can have an active voice and speak in defense of my country. I work from here, guiding, talking with our base, and making decisions jointly with those who are there," he said. The leader arrived in Miami on October 28 along with his family, after Lula won the runoff on October 25. According to information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, he obtained a humanitarian parole valid until October 27, 2027. He is now seeking to move toward permanent legal residency. "I am very grateful to the American people and to President Donald Trump for opening the doors of the United States to me and my family," said Bolsonaro, who avoided revealing details about the route he took to leave Brazil. "I cannot give details about how I got here because many of the people who may have participated did not even know I was nearby at certain moments. I cannot give details because they will be persecuted wherever they are," he said. However, he confirmed that he passed through Argentina and thanked President Javier Milei. Bolsonaro emphatically praised the Argentine president, whom he described as "a great leader in Latin America," and said he has his admiration. He highlighted that Milei inherited a country battered by years of left-wing governments, with inflation above 100% annually and some of the highest interest rates in the world, and argued that he is managing to leave Argentina "in a much better condition than he found it." Bolsonaro's departure came amid the judicial tensions surrounding his family. Before leaving Brazil, authorities had ordered him to surrender his passports. The leader denounced that the country is going through a democratic crisis and questioned the legitimacy of the electoral result that gave Lula a new term. "Brazil no longer lives in a full democracy," he said, denouncing alleged irregularities in the elections. He also said he cannot push for an investigation into the results for fear of facing judicial consequences, and again defended his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his participation in an attempted coup after losing the 2022 elections. The senator also rejected criticism from American Democratic lawmakers. Robert García, representative from California and future chairman of the House Oversight Committee, called on Rubio to facilitate Bolsonaro's return to Brazil so that he could answer to the Justice system. The Brazilian described that request as an expression of the "global left." On the American political scene, Bolsonaro argued that the only possibility of Brazil finding support in Washington is for the United States to have a Republican, right-wing president. In that sense, he expressed confidence that American voters can reverse the outcome of the recent midterm elections and prevent the Republicans from losing power: "I am convinced that the American people still have two years to repent for what they did and ensure that the Republicans remain in the presidency," he said. In turn, Bolsonaro said he is willing to compete for the presidency again if a new electoral opportunity arises. The former presidential candidate declared: "If a new electoral contest arises, I am ready to return." He also criticized Lula's economic policies, pointing to household debt and the lack of incentives for private investment. The leader, who did not confirm whether he has had recent contacts with Trump since arriving in the United States, said he hopes to find an opportune moment to request a meeting with the president or with Rubio. Meanwhile, he insisted that he has more confidence in the American judicial system than in the Brazilian one. ANSA Agency