The whereabouts of Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro are unknown after the former presidential candidate failed to surrender his passports to police Tuesday, according to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil.
A source close to Bolsonaro told CNN the senator is currently flying to the United States. It is unclear how he left Brazil or what his destination is within the US.
Speculation about his movements mounted after Argentine news outlet Infobae reported that Bolsonaro had left Brazil via Argentina after losing Sunday’s runoff presidential election against leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Argentine government said in a statement that it has “no record of Flávio Bolsonaro entering” the country.
Brazil’s Federal Police has canceled Bolsonaro’s passports and are currently searching for him, CNN Brasil reports.
Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s highest court for alleged acts of corruption, money laundering and currency evasion. He denies all wrongdoing.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to turn in his passports within 24 hours on Monday. CNN has reached out to Bolsonaro, his political party and the Brazilian Federal Police for comment on the senator’s whereabouts.
Bolsonaro said Brazilian police had informed him of the order in person and told him he was banned from leaving Brazil. In a video posted to Instagram, the senator denied that he intended to flee.
If Bolsonaro has indeed left Brazil, he would join a large community of Brazilian conservatives in exile – including former Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem, podcaster Paulo Figueiredo, and Bolsonaro’s own brother Eduardo, who lives in Texas.
Eduardo suggested shortly before the runoff election that Flávio ought to leave Brazil if his bid for the presidency failed. On Tuesday, Eduardo called rumors that his brother had fled a “lie.”
