Defeated Bolsonaro claims to be Brazil’s rightful president-elect from US

Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has claimed to be the country’s “rightful president-elect” after losing the presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, saying he left Brazil for the United States to avoid what he called the “politicization of the justice system”.

Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has claimed to be the country’s “rightful president-elect” after losing the presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, saying he left Brazil for the United States to avoid what he called the “politicization of the justice system”.

Lula won 51.79 percent of the valid votes in Sunday’s runoff, securing a fourth, non-consecutive term, while Bolsonaro received 48.21 percent, according to the final count published by Brazil’s electoral authorities.

Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that he had travelled to the United States with his family. He made the comments after arriving in Florida following his election defeat.

He has alleged political persecution by Brazilian authorities, but has provided no evidence to support his claim that he was the rightful winner of the election. The official results declared Lula the winner.

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Bolsonaro, a senator representing Rio de Janeiro, is the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and a prominent figure in Brazil’s right-wing political movement. He was the Liberal Party’s candidate in the 2026 presidential election.

He finished first in the October 4 first round, ahead of Lula, but failed to secure a majority and lost the October 25 runoff. He has not conceded defeat.

Bolsonaro has said he intends to lead the opposition from the United States. His departure comes amid a legal dispute involving Brazilian authorities; any specific allegations or investigations should be detailed only with clear attribution to court records or reliable reporting.