Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has declared himself the country’s “true president-elect”, alleged electoral fraud in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election and vowed to lead Brazil’s opposition from the United States, where he has arrived with his family after leaving the country.In a lengthy statement addressed to Brazilians and the international community on Wednesday, Flávio rejected the description of his departure as a flight from Brazil, saying he had left to escape what he described as political persecution and an increasingly authoritarian political system. He also thanked US president Donald Trump and Argentine president Javier Milei for their support, portraying the United States as a place where his family could find the legal security he claimed was no longer available at home.“I want to make this clear: I did not flee Brazil; I left for Brazil’s sake” – he wrote, arguing that remaining in the country would have prevented him from exercising political leadership.Flávio alleged that the October 25 presidential election was marred by fraud, claiming that Lula gained more than 10 million votes between the first and second rounds in what he called a “mathematical impossibility”. He also challenged a decision to extend voting hours in some locations, accused judicial authorities of acting beyond their jurisdiction and argued that alleged campaign violations justified annulling the Lula-Alckmin ticket.The statement, however, did not provide evidence establishing that electoral fraud had occurred. Brazil’s Liberal Party (PL), which backed Flávio’s candidacy, had earlier recognised the official election result while calling for the issues raised by the campaign to be addressed through political and democratic debate.Flávio also accused the Supreme Federal Court of orchestrating a campaign of political persecution against him and his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro. He claimed that judicial action against him could progress from passport seizure to electronic monitoring, censorship, house arrest and eventual political conviction. He insisted that no arrest warrant had been issued against him and denied committing any crime.The senator said he had brought his family to the US to protect them and would continue his political activities from abroad. Drawing comparisons with figures including French wartime leader Charles de Gaulle and Venezuelan opposition leaders, he portrayed his departure as a continuation of a struggle for democracy rather than an abandonment of Brazilian politics.Addressing lawmakers and governors allied with him, Flávio said he would lead the opposition from the US, promising to speak on behalf of supporters who, he claimed, could not freely express themselves in Brazil. He named senator Rogério Marinho as his candidate for the presidency of the Senate and said he would soon outline a strategy to mobilise the opposition through what he described as peaceful and legitimate means.The statement marks a further escalation in Flávio’s challenge to Lula’s victory. He had previously said he would seek the annulment of the election, while the PL subsequently acknowledged the result proclaimed by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court.
