Rubio denies US role in Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure from Brazil

ATLANTA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied that the Trump administration facilitated Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure from Brazil and his subsequent arrival in the United States following his defeat in the presidential election.

“We didn't facilitate anything,” Rubio told reporters on Saturday in Atlanta, where foreign ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) countries had gathered.

He said US officials learnt that Bolsonaro had arrived in the country and that the Brazilian politician already held a valid visa. President Donald Trump subsequently decided to allow him to enter the United States, Rubio added.

Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on Wednesday, a day after the US State Department announced that he and his family would be granted visas following his election defeat to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Rubio also said he had met Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday and expected to meet Brazilian officials again in France in November, where another foreign ministers' meeting is scheduled.

Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat and alleged that the election was fraudulent, without providing evidence. In a livestream on Instagram on Friday, he described himself as a victim of political persecution.

In a letter issued on Wednesday, the 45-year-old senator declared himself the “true president-elect of Brazil”, before later softening the claim to “leader”. He also compared himself to French resistance leader Charles de Gaulle.

Bolsonaro is facing investigations in Brazil over alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. Police had also ordered him to surrender his passport after identifying him as a potential flight risk.

The developments come amid heightened political tensions following the election and Bolsonaro's move to the United States.

With inputs from PTI and AP