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Bolsonaro also thanked Argentina’s president

October 28, 2026

The Guardian reports that in the letter, published about seven hours after his arrival, Bolsonaro also thanked Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, “for his courage, sense of justice and legality”, and Donald Trump “and the wonderful American people for welcoming me”. Bolsonaro again repeated, without evidence, his claim that there had been “electoral fraud” – a claim rejected by Brazil’s electoral court and supreme court, as well as the presidents of the lower house and senate.

According to New York Post, Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro on October 28 declared himself the rightful president-elect of Brazil, saying his victory had been denied by an electoral coup d’etat by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the country’s Supreme Court. Mr. Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro lost October 25’s presidential election, fled Brazil for the United States via Argentina after the police canceled his passport in relation to an investigation, The New York Times and NYT report. Mr. Bolsonaro arrived in the United States after apparently vanishing for a whirlwind 24 hours during which it was largely unclear where Bolsonaro was and how, or if, Bolsonaro would reach the United States.

Key facts

The Guardian reports that in the letter, published about seven hours after his arrival, Bolsonaro also thanked Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, “for his courage, sense of justice and legality”, and Donald Trump “and the wonderful American people for welcoming me”. Jerusalem Post reports that "I would like to thank President Trump and the wonderful American people for welcoming me." Bolsonaro again repeated, without evidence, his claim that there had been “electoral fraud” – a claim rejected by Brazil’s electoral court and supreme court, as well as the presidents of the lower house and senate, The Guardian reports. Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro had been widely expected to win October 25's election, did not provide evidence for the alleged electoral fraud, Reuters reports. Bolsonaro thanked Argentine leader Javier Milei for helping him make the journey and US President Donald Trump, Donald Trump granted him and his family entry visas, for welcoming him, Reuters reports.

According to New York Post, Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro on October 28 declared himself the rightful president-elect of Brazil, saying his victory had been denied by an electoral coup d’etat by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the country’s Supreme Court. Mr. Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro lost October 25’s presidential election, fled Brazil for the United States via Argentina after the police canceled his passport in relation to an investigation, The New York Times and NYT report. Mr. Bolsonaro arrived in the United States after apparently vanishing for a whirlwind 24 hours during which it was largely unclear where Bolsonaro was and how, or if, Bolsonaro would reach the United States. Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro disembarks from a plane after arriving at Opa-locka Executive Airport near Miami, Florida, US, October 28, 2026, El País reports. Bolsonaro, the son of the jailed former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, took off on the jet with his wife and two teenage daughters at about 11.30pm, bound for Guayaquil in Ecuador, reportedly to avoid Brazilian airspace, The Guardian reports. Just after 9:30 a.m., Mr. Bolsonaro could be seen leaving a plane at a private airport in Miami along with his family, according to news media video footage, The New York Times and NYT report. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, regarded as the Bolsonaro family’s chief adversary, had ordered the cancellation of Flávio Bolsonaro’s Brazilian passports and the surrender of his Italian passport, which Flávio Bolsonaro's obtained in 2023, El País reports. A plane believed to be carrying Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro arrives at Opa Locka Executive Airport, US, October 28, 2026, Jerusalem Post reports. His brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, has lived in Texas since early 2025 and, from there, lobbied the Trump administration to impose tariffs on Brazil and sanctions on Moraes, El País reports. Separately, Mr. Bolsonaro is also the subject of a police inquiry over millions of dollars Bolsonaro raised from a disgraced banker at the center of a huge corruption scheme to finance a biopic of his father, Jair Bolsonaro, The New York Times and NYT report. The elder Mr. Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting a coup after losing the presidential election in 2022 to Mr. Lula, The New York Times reports. According to El País, Milei government said, “There will be no statement”.

According to Jerusalem Post, Bolsonaro said, "I address the Brazilian people and the international community as the true elected president of Brazil".

Bolsonaro

Still developing

The Guardian reports that Brazil three main newspapers briefly remained inside the airport before leaving, shielded by black umbrellas, climbing into a dark gray Ford Expedition Max and speeding away under police escort. The Guardian reports that from there Lula, Bolsonaro boarded a Gulfstream IV, registered LV-JQW, LV-JQW had been parked at Puerto Iguazú airport since the early hours of the previous morning, when the first reports emerged in Argentinian media that Lula, Bolsonaro intended to flee on it. Bolsonaro, the son of the jailed former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, took off on the jet with his wife and two teenage daughters at about 11.30pm, bound for Guayaquil in Ecuador, reportedly to avoid Brazilian airspace.

How settled the reporting is

Reported 96% · Contested 0% · Developing 4%

Sources

Toggle read the full reports of 7 of the 13 outlets counted on this event. The other 6 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.