Flávio Bolsonaro’s arrival in Miami with his wife and two daughters has opened a new chapter in Brazil’s political turmoil following the senator and former presidential candidate’s electoral defeat against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His journey through Argentina and Ecuador has drawn scrutiny amid a judicial order connected to an investigation into alleged money laundering.

According to reports by Reuters, EFE and AFP, Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Florida on Wednesday, October 28. Before reaching the United States, he crossed into Argentina through the Tancredo Neves International Bridge in Misiones. He then boarded a private aircraft in Puerto Iguazú bound for Guayaquil, Ecuador, before continuing to Miami.

His departure came amid a sensitive legal situation. Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered Flávio Bolsonaro to surrender his ordinary and diplomatic passports to the Federal Police as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering. According to Reuters, the deadline passed without compliance, and the documents were subsequently reportedly canceled. Flávio Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing.

The trip has also triggered political reactions on both sides of the border. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for the Brazilian senator’s arrival in the United States, while Lula criticized his departure and argued that he should remain in Brazil to prove his innocence. In Argentina, lawmaker Marcela Pagano announced that she had filed a complaint requesting an investigation into the border crossing and the private flight. The procedural status and scope of that complaint remain to be confirmed by the relevant authorities.

The move contrasts with Flávio Bolsonaro’s earlier public statements that he intended to remain in Brazil to organize the opposition. His arrival in Miami adds another layer of uncertainty to Brazil’s political landscape as the country deals with the aftermath of the election and the legal questions surrounding the senator. An investigation or judicial measure does not, by itself, establish guilt.