Lula condemns Flavio Bolsonaro after reported flight to United States

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticised defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro for leaving the country, according to Al Jazeera. Multiple outlets, including Euronews and France 24, reported on Tuesday that Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States following his defeat in the presidential election held on Sunday. [1][2][4][5][11]

The departure comes amid legal measures against the 45 year old senator. According to France 24 and Al Jazeera, Brazil's Supreme Court ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports as part of a money laundering probe. The Buenos Aires Times and Euronews reported that a police source confirmed his passports were cancelled after he failed to hand them over within the court deadline. [1][3][4][5][6][14]

Questions remain over how Bolsonaro exited the country. A police source told the AFP news agency, cited by Euronews, that there was no formal record of him leaving Brazil. Mercopress reported that Brazilian Federal Police are checking with authorities in Argentina to see whether he crossed the border into Argentina. Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post and Euronews reported that the United States State Department plans to grant entry visas to Bolsonaro and his family. [2][4][6]

Bolsonaro has lost his presidential bid against incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won a historic fourth term, according to the BBC and The Guardian. While France 24 reported that Bolsonaro vowed to challenge the election result and lead the opposition, the Buenos Aires Times and Reuters reported that his political party and key allies have accepted the election outcome. [3][7][8][9][10]