In brief
Brazil's foreign ministry called Argentina’s chargé d’affaires to explain the country's role in Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s rapid exit to the US. Bolsonaro’s move followed his defeat in Brazil’s presidential runoff and was part of a broader legal battle involving a money‑laundering probe. The summons adds pressure to already strained relations between Presidents Lula and Milei.
On Thursday, Brazil summoned Argentina’s charge d’affaires, Maria Emilia Cortes, to ask why the Argentine government let Senator Flavio Bolsonaro leave the country in a private plane. Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party’s right‑wing candidate, had lost the runoff election on Oct. 25 and fled first to Argentina, then to the United States.
According to Brazilian officials, the private flight departed from Argentine airspace on Tuesday night, a day after the election. The plane stopped in Ecuador before heading to the United States, carrying Bolsonaro and his family. The move follows Argentine President Javier Milei’s public criticism of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula and his support for Bolsonaro during the campaign.
Bolsonaro’s departure is tied to an ongoing money‑laundering investigation known as the Banco Master scandal. He is alleged to have received a multimillion‑dollar payment from former Banco Master chief Daniel Vorcaro meant to finance a film about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing and labels the case as politically motivated.
Brazil’s demand for explanations comes as tensions rise between the two South American leaders. Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno has denied that his government received a formal request for answers, saying the claim was false. The dispute threatens to further strain relations between Presidents Lula and Milei amid the fallout from Brazil’s election.
