"I'm being politically persecuted" ... Bolsonaro, who fled to U.S., says on Instagram Live

First public remarks three days after arriving in the U.S. following election defeat
Claims, "Police told me my passport had been revoked after I visited my father"

Flavio Bolsonaro, the candidate of the right-wing Liberal Party (PL) who lost Brazil's presidential election and fled to the United States on a private jet in defiance of a court-ordered travel ban, said he was being politically persecuted and explained why he left Brazil.

Yonhap News reported on October 31 that Bolsonaro, a sitting federal senator, said during an Instagram Live broadcast on October 30, "The persecution began much earlier than I expected." In the video, he explained that he decided to leave the country after Brazilian authorities revoked his passport during an investigation into money laundering allegations against him.

Flavio Bolsonaro stated his position in an Instagram video on the 30th (local time). Screenshot from Instagram video @flaviobolsonaro, Yonhap News.

He said that on October 26, the day after the presidential runoff, he was notified by police that they would confiscate his passport as he was leaving a visit to his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest. Brazilian investigators had effectively suspended their investigation into allegations against Bolsonaro, including money laundering, during the campaign. Immediately after the election, they resumed the probe and, with Supreme Court approval, demanded that he surrender his passport as part of a travel ban. Bolsonaro said his father, with tears in his eyes, told him, "You understand how far they're willing to go, don't you?" He added that he replied, "Father, I already know. Now I know what I have to do."

He did not explain exactly how he carried out his departure, but reports said he took a complicated route through Argentina and Ecuador. According to flight documents reviewed by AFP, he boarded a private jet using an Italian passport issued in his name. Bolsonaro said he and his wife made the decision "without anyone knowing" and urged people to "blame no one."

"I did not leave Brazil; I left for Brazil," he stressed.

He suffered an unexpected defeat in the presidential runoff against incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the left-wing Workers' Party (PT). He has since refused to accept the result and raised allegations of election fraud. However, both his own political camp and the judicial authorities have rejected his claims.

In the video, Bolsonaro compared the alleged election misconduct to a "handball goal" in a soccer match that stood despite a video assistant referee (VAR) review. However, he provided no concrete evidence to support his claims.

He predicted that Brazil's economy would collapse under President Lula and said he intended to run for president again. Referring to 2030, the scheduled year of the next presidential election, he added, "I'm not talking about 2030. I'm talking about a time before that."

Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro steps off a plane after arriving at Opa-locka Airport near Miami, Florida, on the 28th (local time). Reuters-Yonhap News.

Bolsonaro's secret departure from Brazil, in defiance of a court order and evading investigators, just two days after his election defeat has left politicians across the political spectrum in Brazil struggling to hide their dismay. AFP reported that U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are also facing pressure to explain what role their countries played in Bolsonaro's departure.

After losing the presidential runoff held on October 25, Bolsonaro secretly left Brazil on October 27, traveled through Argentina and Ecuador, and arrived in Florida on October 28.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.