'I did not flee Brazil': Flávio Bolsonaro declares himself Brazil's rightful leader after landing in Miami with his family
Flávio Bolsonaro, son of jailed ex-president Jair, abandoned his demand for annulment of the result by Monday, pledging instead to lead the opposition.Flávio Bolsonaro routed his escape flight through Guayaquil, Ecuador, to avoid Brazilian airspace after the Supreme Court cancelled his passports for ignoring a deadline to surrender them.
Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, son of jailed former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, travelled out of Brazil through Argentina and Ecuador before touching down in Miami on a private jet with his wife and two teenage daughters. In an open letter he initially proclaimed himself "the elected president," alleging that "criminals stole Brazil's election" — before taking the letter down and replacing it with a softer version in which he described himself only as "the leader my people deserve." Brazil revoked his passports amid a money-laundering investigation, and the US granted visas to him and his family after he refused to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender them.
Trump told reporters 'we gave him a pass to come into the country' but declined to discuss the fraud allegations, calling the election 'very strange'.
Lula won the runoff by more than 4.5 million votes — with fewer than 35,000 cast during the contested two-hour extension, according to electoral records.
Folha de S.Paulo, O Globo and O Estado de S.Paulo — Brazil's three largest newspapers — each characterised Bolsonaro's declaration as 'coup-mongering'.
