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Flávio Bolsonaro gets US visa after Brazil court bars him from travelling

Washington is issuing visas to the defeated candidate and his family just as Brazil's top court ordered him to surrender his passports.

By Bharat Brief Desk·1h ago·Updated 1h ago·1 min read

The United States is granting visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his relatives, days after the senator lost Brazil's presidential election. A senior Trump administration official confirmed the move, according to the report.

The timing is hard to miss. On Monday, Brazil's Supreme Court told Bolsonaro to hand over his passports and ruled that he cannot leave the country. Reports had suggested he might try to flee after the defeat.

The official said Washington will not comment further until the family is safely on American soil. That leaves open the question of whether, or how, he could use the visa while the court order stands.

Bolsonaro lost to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a closely watched race. He is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last year of plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election. The elder Bolsonaro received a 27-year sentence but remains under house arrest because of health problems.

Why does this matter beyond politics? Trade and business ties between the two countries are already strained. The Trump administration has targeted Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the coup case, with visa restrictions and separate sanctions that were later lifted. In 2025, it also imposed steep tariffs on Brazilian imports.

For Brazilian exporters and investors, another diplomatic flare-up adds uncertainty. Any clash over a court order and a US visa could deepen the rift between Brasília and Washington.

Read the original report: Times Now News.