:NOW Last updated 2026-10-27 22:00 UTC. Built from Al Jazeera/AP/Reuters (21:47 UTC), France24 (20:49 UTC, 16:33 UTC), and NPR Brazil coverage. :INFO What we know Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro left the country on 27 October 2026, one day after the Supreme Court cancelled his passports as part of a money-laundering probe. A senior US State Department official confirmed to AP and Reuters that the Trump administration will issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family. Brazil's Federal Police told Reuters he did not exit through any regular border crossing. His brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in Texas, had publicly encouraged him to flee if he lost the election. :COUNTER 4.4M margin by which Lula beat Bolsonaro in the 25 October runoff :STATS [icon:CLOCK] Election runoff | 25 October 2026 [icon:USERS] Lula vote share | 51%+ [icon:USERS] Bolsonaro vote share | 48%+ [icon:CHART] Margin of victory | More than 4.4 million votes [icon:CLOCK] Supreme Court passport order | 26 October 2026 [icon:CLOCK] Bolsonaro departure confirmed | 27 October 2026 [icon:CLOCK] US visa confirmation | 27 October 2026 (senior State Dept official) :INFO What is not known yet It is not confirmed exactly how Bolsonaro left Brazil — Brazil's Federal Police said he did not use a regular border crossing. His precise current location in the US has not been officially disclosed. The US State Department has not issued a formal written statement; the visa confirmation comes from a senior official cited by AP and Reuters. No extradition request has been reported. :TIMELINE Key events: Brazil 2026 election and Bolsonaro departure 2026-10-04 | First round: Bolsonaro 47%, Lula 45%; runoff required. 2026-10-25 | Runoff: Lula wins with 51%+, margin of 4.4M+ votes. 2026-10-25 | Bolsonaro refuses to concede; says he will seek annulment. 2026-10-26 | Brazil Supreme Court orders Bolsonaro to surrender passports (money-laundering probe). 2026-10-26 | Bolsonaro fails to comply; Supreme Court cancels his passports. 2026-10-26 | Bolsonaro says he will stay in Brazil and lead the opposition. 2026-10-27 | His party releases statement accepting the election result. 2026-10-27 | Bolsonaro leaves Brazil; Federal Police: not through a regular crossing. 2026-10-27 | Senior US State Dept official confirms Trump admin will issue visas. :QUOTE [links:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/flavio-bolsonaro-flees-brazil-after-election-loss-us-says-will-grant-visa, quotetype:plain, subtitle:Brazilian President Lula] This is what the Bolsonaro family is like. Brazil is their second nation, the US is their first. :INFO Legal and political context Flavio Bolsonaro is a Brazilian senator and the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio ran as the conservative candidate in the 2026 presidential race. His father Jair remains under house arrest in Brazil in connection with an alleged coup plot following his 2022 election loss to Lula. The money-laundering probe against Flavio is separate. US President Trump told reporters the election "looked like another rigged election"; Brazil's Superior Electoral Court and independent observers found no evidence of fraud. :QUOTE [links:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/flavio-bolsonaro-flees-brazil-after-election-loss-us-says-will-grant-visa, quotetype:plain, subtitle:US President Donald Trump] It looked like another rigged election. :MAP -15.7801,-47.9292,Brasilia, Brazil. Where Flavio Bolsonaro was based after his election loss 30.2672,-97.7431,Austin, Texas, USA. Where Eduardo Bolsonaro lives and encouraged his brother to come :CHECKLIST What to watch next [ ] - Ongoing: Whether Brazil formally requests extradition from the US. [ ] - Ongoing: Whether the US State Department issues a written statement on the visas. [ ] - Ongoing: Whether Brazilian prosecutors file further charges relating to Bolsonaro's departure. [ ] - Ongoing: Whether the Supreme Court holds Bolsonaro in contempt for ignoring the passport order. [ ] - Ongoing: How the Brazilian real and markets react to political uncertainty. :NOTE How we know this. Bolsonaro's departure and US visa confirmation: Al Jazeera reporting by AP and Reuters (21:47 UTC). France24 (16:33 UTC and 20:49 UTC) reported he fled despite cancelled passports, citing sources. Federal Police statement: Reuters, cited in the Al Jazeera article. Election results: Al Jazeera election coverage, 26 October 2026. Cover image: public domain photograph posted on Trump's Truth Social account showing Donald Trump, Flavio Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro, and Paulo Figuei :LINK https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/flavio-bolsonaro-flees-brazil-after-election-loss-us-says-will-grant-visa Al Jazeera (AP/Reuters): Flavio Bolsonaro flees Brazil, US says will grant visa :LINK https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20261027-defeated-brazilian-candidate-flavio-bolsonaro-passports-cancelled-whereabouts-unknown France24: Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro flees to US despite cancelled passports :LINK https://www.npr.org/sections/world/ NPR World: Bolsonaro's party accepts Brazil election defeat :LINK https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/26/lula-holds-off-far-right-with-victory-in-brazil-presidential-election Al Jazeera: Lula holds off far right with victory in Brazil presidential election