Trump backs down and won't recognize Flávio Bolsonaro as Brazil's leader, says Reuters

The president of Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, has no plans to recognize Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) as Brazil’s legitimate leader, even after the US government facilitated the entry of the senator and his relatives into the country. The information was released on Friday by the international agency Reuters, based on sources close to the US administration.

The decision represents a possible change in Washington’s stance towards the Bolsonaro family, which has received support from members of the U.S. government in recent years. According to two sources heard by the agency, the Casa Branca does not intend, at this time, to support the statements of Flávio, who went on to claim the country’s leadership after losing the presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

The position, however, is not considered definitive. People familiar with the US administration’s internal discussions said Trump could still review his position.

The assessment is that the president of the Estados Unidos seeks to avoid a new diplomatic attrition with Brazil, especially after a period marked by political differences and tensions between the two countries.

Trump questions election, but avoids direct confrontation with Lula

Even raising doubts about the conduct of the second round of the Brazilian elections, held on Sunday (25), Donald Trump did not declare formal support for Flávio Bolsonaro's candidacy during the dispute.

The U.S. president even classified the vote as apparently manipulated, but presented no evidence to support that assessment.

At the same time, he adopted a conciliatory speech regarding President Lula, re-elected with an approximate advantage of 3.5 percentage points over the opponent.

In press statements, Trump said he maintains a good relationship with the head of the Brazilian Executive, although he has shown dissatisfaction with aspects of the electoral process.

The combination of these statements is interpreted as a sign that Washington prefers to preserve diplomatic channels with Brasilia rather than widen the political confrontation around the outcome of the polls.

Brazil’s exit of Flávio Bolsonaro causes political attrition

Flávio Bolsonaro’s trip to Estados Unidos came amid the advancement of an investigation conducted by the Federal Police.

The senator left Brazilian territory after Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF), determined the delivery of his passport. The measure was requested by PF as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering and currency evasion.

According to information obtained by Reuters, Flavio and his family crossed the border with Argentina on Tuesday night (27). They then boarded a private aircraft bound for Ecuador, from where they headed to Miami.

The full circumstances of the displacement between Brasilia and the Argentine border have not yet been publicly clarified.

The departure of the country also provoked criticism among members of the Brazilian right, who expected the senator to assume a prominent role in the opposition to Lula’s third consecutive term.

Brazilian sources heard by Reuters assessed that Flavio’s stay abroad could hinder the political articulation of the conservative camp in Congresso Nacional.

The US government has allowed entry for humanitarian reasons.

Although it does not intend to recognize the senator’s political claim, the Trump administration participated in the negotiations that allowed him to arrive at the Estados Unidos.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has recommended that the president authorize the entry of Flávio Bolsonaro and its relatives.

The process also reportedly involved Jason Miller, a close adviser to Trump and the Bolsonaro family, who helped organize the displacement from Argentina.

After discussions between State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials, the family received a temporary entry authorization known as a humanitarian parole.

This instrument permits exceptional admission of foreigners to the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or relevant reasons of public interest.

The granting of this migratory benefit, however, does not represent political recognition of Flávio Bolsonaro as president or institutional leader of Brazil.

A letter posted on social media widened the controversy

Washington’s position gained importance after Flávio Bolsonaro released an open letter on social network X on Wednesday.

In the original publication, the senator ran as the elected president of Brazil, despite being defeated in the ballot box.

Subsequently, the document was withdrawn and replaced by another version, in which Flavio began to claim the status of legitimate leader of the country.

The declarations do not alter the official result of the elections, which confirmed the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The movement also occurs in a context of political difficulties for the Bolsonaro family. Former President Jair Bolsonaro is in prison after conviction related to the attempted coup after the 2022 election defeat.

Relations between Brazil and Estados Unidos enters a new phase

Trump’s decision not to support Flávio Bolsonaro’s claims for the time being may open the door to a more pragmatic relationship between the Brazilian and American governments.

Despite ideological differences, the two countries maintain common interests in areas such as international trade, investment and diplomatic cooperation.

For members of the Brazilian government heard by Reuters, Flavio’s departure could politically favor Lula, by reducing the ability of the conservative opposition to articulate.

On the other hand, the presence of the senator in the Estados Unidos keeps open the possibility of new diplomatic and legal developments.

Until the release of the report, representatives of the Brazilian government, the U.S. State Department and Flávio Bolsonaro had not submitted answers to the requests for positioning forwarded by Reuters.

Also read: https://bntonline.com.br/flavio-bolsonaro-fuga-sem-passportes-pode-levar-prisao/