Flávio Bolsonaro refused to recognize his defeat in the Brazilian presidential elections and proclaimed himself the “real president of Brazil” from the United States, through a letter published on social media on Wednesday, October 28, in which he alleged electoral fraud without presenting evidence to support his claims.
The son of former President Jair Bolsonaro fled from Brazil after losing the runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who got 64.2 million votes compared to Bolsonaro’s 59.8 million, according to the official results from the Superior Electoral Court.
Despite the difference of over 4.4 million votes, Bolsonaro questioned the legitimacy of the elections and blamed the Brazilian judiciary for favoring Lula’s re-election.
Bolsonaro’s stance even contrasts with the position of his party, the Liberal Party, the leadership of which has already publicly acknowledged Lula’s victory, despite asking for clarifications on certain electoral decisions.
In his letter, Flávio Bolsonaro thanked US President Donald Trump and Argentinian President Javier Milei for their support, and claimed that he had to flee Brazil due to alleged judicial persecution against his family.
He also compared his situation to that of historical figures who engaged in political activities from exile and announced that he intends to lead the Brazilian opposition from the US.
Bolsonaro fled on a plane linked to an Argentinian drug trafficker
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro violated a court order and fled to the United States on a private plane associated with a network of business relationships surrounding Federico “Fred” Machado, an Argentinian businessman who is under investigation for his connections to drug trafficking and money laundering, according to an investigation published by the Brazilian magazine Fórum.
The aircraft used was a Gulfstream G400, registration LV-JQW, belonging to the fleet of Baires Fly, an Argentinian company that appears in the business connections examined by the outlet. The investigation identifies links between the company and Sergio Daniel Mastropietro, an Argentinian businessman who was Fred Machado’s partner in a company related to aeronautical business.
The flight transported Flávio Bolsonaro, his wife, and their two daughters from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, with a stopover in Guayaquil, Ecuador, before continuing to Miami, United States, according to reports on the aircraft’s itinerary.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s clandestine journey from Brazil to the US. Source: BBC.
It happened after the senator left Brazil by land for Argentina, after the Supreme Court of Brazil restricted him from leaving the country and ordered him to surrender his passports, which he failed to do.
The Trump administration has provided visas for Flávio Bolsonaro and his family but did not reveal what kind of visas they were.
The Federico Machado connection
According to the Fórum investigation, Sergio Daniel Mastropietro had a business partnership with Machado in SO VAIN SA, a company associated with the aeronautical business.
Machado was investigated in the United States for his alleged involvement in an international organization related to cocaine trafficking and money laundering. In August 2026, he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and electronic fraud, while the drug trafficking charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement with the prosecution.
Flávio Bolsonaro Flees Brazil for US, Breaking Supreme Court Order
The connection identified by the Fórum investigation is of a business nature: the available information does not demonstrate that Machado is the direct owner of the plane or that he personally intervened in Bolsonaro’s trip.
The company also appears in an Argentinian judicial investigation regarding alleged irregularities in the National Agency for Disabilities (ANDIS), the body responsible for policies assisting people with disabilities.
Supplier companies of ANDIS transferred money to a Baires Fly account in September 2025. Investigators are examining whether those transactions could have been part of a money laundering scheme related to suspected public contracts.
Mastropietro, for his part, was prosecuted in Argentina on suspicion of aggravated money laundering and illicit association, according to the cited reports.
(Diario Red) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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