A group of 25 Democratic congress members from the United States demanded explanations from Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the possible involvement of the Donald Trump administration in the escape of Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who arrived in Miami after leaving Brazil despite a court order restricting his international travel.
In a letter dated October 29, lawmakers posed 15 questions to the State Department to clarify who authorized the visas for the Brazilian politician and his family, when Washington became aware of the judicial restrictions, and whether U.S. officials facilitated their exit from the country, reported CNN Brazil.
The congressmen granted Rubio a deadline until November 13, 2026 to respond in writing and requested that officials from the State Department be available to provide explanations to Congressional staff.
The initiative was led by representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California and Dina Titus of Nevada, and has the support of another 23 Democratic lawmakers.
Among the signatories are Greg Casar, Jasmine Crockett, Glenn F. Ivey, and Jonathan L. Jackson, whose names and signatures appear on the document sent to the Secretary of State.
The main concern of lawmakers is to determine whether U.S. diplomatic and immigration resources were used to assist a foreign politician in leaving their country while facing judicial restrictions.
In the letter, the representatives indicate that both Congress and American citizens have a legitimate interest in overseeing the actions of the Government in circumstances involving foreign judicial proceedings and delicate diplomatic relations.
The central question is whether the State Department, the United States Embassy in Brazil, or any other federal agency assisted Bolsonaro in traveling to or entering U.S. territory despite the restrictions imposed by the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court.
Democrats want to know who authorized the visas, when that decision was made, and whether the U.S. government verified that Bolsonaro could legally leave Brazil.
They also ask whether any officials in Washington received, reviewed, or discussed the court order before the senator left the country, and whether the authorities were aware that he had missed the deadline for submitting his passports.
Another question is directed specifically at the White House. The congress members are requesting information about possible contacts between U.S. officials and Bolsonaro, his family, lawyers, political advisors, or intermediaries to coordinate the trip.
The document also inquires whether there was assistance in securing transportation, organizing flights, processing immigration documents, coordinating consular appointments, or facilitating access to airports.
Lawmakers also want to clarify whether the State Department coordinated actions with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or other federal agencies.
The questions extend to Argentina and Ecuador, countries that Bolsonaro visited before arriving in Florida. The representatives are seeking to know if U.S. officials assigned in those regions participated in coordinating his itinerary.
The letter also demands to know whether Washington assessed the diplomatic consequences of facilitating the entry of a politician under investigation by Brazilian authorities and whether the Department of Justice was consulted about the legal implications.
The document does not formally accuse Rubio of having organized the senator's departure, but it calls for the identification of any official who may have intervened, the nature of that assistance, and the authority under which it was provided.
The demand arises after reports emerged about a possible involvement of Marco Rubio in Bolsonaro's departure to the United States.
On October 27, businessman Jason Miller circulated claims regarding alleged actions by the Secretary of State to facilitate the trip. However, those reports did not prove that Rubio had personally directed the operation.
On that same day, American and Brazilian media reported that the Trump Administration had decided to grant visas to Bolsonaro and his family.
Later, Donald Trump publicly supported the Brazilian senator's entry into the United States and questioned Brazil's presidential elections, although he did not provide evidence of electoral irregularities.
When asked if he would allow the politician and his family to enter, the leader responded that he would approve the measure and described them as good people.
Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on Wednesday, accompanied by his wife and their two daughters, after leaving Brazil by land to Argentina and continuing on a private plane that stopped in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
According to the information about his arrival at Opa-locka Executive Airport, the senator used an Italian passport to cross the border after Brazilian authorities ordered the submission of his travel documents.
The restriction was imposed by Judge Alexandre de Moraes of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) within the context of investigations related to alleged money laundering and other financial irregularities.
The senator lost the second round of the presidential elections on October 25 to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who gained an advantage of approximately 4.4 million votes.
After his defeat, Bolsonaro alleged electoral fraud and initially refused to acknowledge Lula's victory. However, he did not provide any evidence to support his claims.
Already in the United States, Bolsonaro declared himself "elected president" of Brazil in a message shared on social media, although he later adjusted that statement to present himself as the political leader of the opposition.
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