US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday denied that Washington helped Flavio Bolsonaro leave Brazil, insisting that the Trump administration played no role in arranging his departure despite authorising his entry into the United States.
Speaking to reporters in Atlanta, Rubio said the US government had not assisted the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in making travel arrangements.
“We didn’t facilitate anything,” Rubio said. “We were not involved in any of the arrangements he made in terms of leaving.”
However, Rubio acknowledged that President Donald Trump had personally authorised Bolsonaro’s admission into the country, noting that the Brazilian politician already possessed a valid US visa.
“The president made clear that if he arrived in the United States at a port of entry, that he would be paroled into the country, and he was,” Rubio explained.
Flavio Bolsonaro, who reportedly lost Brazil’s presidential runoff election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last week, has alleged electoral fraud without presenting supporting evidence.
Following his defeat, Bolsonaro announced that he intended to lead the Brazilian opposition from Florida.
His departure has raised questions because it reportedly took place despite a Brazilian Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports in connection with investigations into alleged money laundering and financial fraud.
Rubio’s remarks sought to distinguish between Washington’s decision to permit Bolsonaro’s entry and any involvement in facilitating his departure from Brazil.
The circumstances surrounding his exit and the implications of the Brazilian court order remain unclear.