Mother Jones reports:

In December 2022, two days before the end of his tenure and after losing his reelection bid, Brazilian far-right President Jair Bolsonaro flew to the United States. Skipping the traditional transfer of power ceremony at President-Elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s inauguration, Bolsonaro settled in Florida and eventually enjoyed a retiree’s lifestyle at the home of an MMA fighter in Kissimmee. Meanwhile, his supporters back home emulated the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, ransacking federal government buildings. The elder Bolsonaro returned to Brazil after three months and was later convicted of a failed coup attempt that included a plot to assassinate Lula. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison, time he is serving at home due to health issues.

Now, days after Lula’s surprise victory in the 2026 presidential elections, another member of the Bolsonaro family is reportedly seeking refuge in America. According to media reports, Flávio Bolsonaro has left Brazil headed to the United States, where he’s rumored to be asking the friendly government of President Donald Trump for asylum. Much like his father, Flávio refused to concede defeat and initially said he would seek to annul the results. (His own party later recognized Lula’s win.) For the first time in 24 years, since he was first elected a state lawmaker in 2022, the aspiring Bolsonaro successor and senator faced the prospect of being out of public office, and with it, losing the special immunity officeholders enjoy. [Continue reading…]