Flávio Bolsonaro calls himself 'leader of Brazil' in letter after election loss

Flávio Bolsonaro, the defeated candidate in Brazil's presidential election, has described himself as "leader of Brazil" in a letter published on social media after leaving the country for the United States.

Bolsonaro lost Sunday's run-off to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, by a margin of 4.4 million votes. He has not conceded defeat.

In the letter, posted on his X account, he says he is addressing Brazilians and the international community as "the leader of Brazil", and that he will lead the opposition from the US. A previous version, later deleted, called him the "rightful president of Brazil".

Fraud claim

Both versions repeat the allegation he first made on election night: that an extension of polling hours on Sunday benefited Lula. He describes it as "an electoral fraud unfolding before my eyes", without offering evidence.

The extension was requested by both Lula's and Bolsonaro's campaign teams, and the head of Brazil's electoral authority has said the vote proceeded normally and in line with the country's laws and constitution. Analysis by BBC Brazil and BBC Verify found that only around 34,000 people voted during the extended hours, far fewer than the 4.4 million votes separating the two candidates.

Departure and investigation

Bolsonaro left Brazil on Tuesday after failing to surrender his passports, defying a Supreme Court order issued as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering. Lula described the departure as "a shameful act".

His route out caused confusion after he disappeared for more than 24 hours. It later emerged that he had crossed the land border into Argentina and flown on to Florida, following a brief refuelling stop in Ecuador.

He has not been charged in the money laundering investigation and denies any wrongdoing, calling it a "politically-motivated witch hunt". In the letter he says he never intended to leave Brazil but argues he is the victim of "political persecution", ending: "I left Brazil but I haven't abandoned Brazilians".

It is not clear how he plans to lead the opposition from the US, where he intends to stay, or for how long. His party has recognised the election result, and his campaign manager, Rogério Marinho, said on Wednesday that there is "no evidence" of the fraud Bolsonaro alleges. Some party politicians have described Bolsonaro as a "political exile".

His younger brother, Eduardo, has been in self-imposed exile in the US since March 2025, saying he was the victim of political persecution. On Wednesday the two siblings posted a photo of themselves holding a Brazilian flag.

The Trump administration has provided visas for Flávio Bolsonaro and his family but has not said what kind. President Trump did not explicitly endorse him in the run-up to the election and told reporters he "won't get involved" when asked about the fraud allegations. Earlier in the week he said it "looked like another rigged election", without providing evidence, and on Thursday he said the election "was a very great embarrassment to the people of Brazil".

Source: BBC World.