An Argentine court has requested information on the entry and subsequent departure of Brazilian politician Flavio Bolsonaro, who traveled to the United States via Puerto Iguazu. Federal judge Maria Eugenia Capucchetti granted the requests of prosecutor Paloma Ochoa and ordered preliminary evidentiary measures before deciding whether to open a full criminal investigation.
The court asked the Foreign Ministry and the National Directorate of “Migration“ to determine whether Argentine authorities had received signals or official communications from Brazil about judicial restrictions against Bolsonaro. It has also been ordered to preserve the recordings from the cameras at the Puerto Iguazu airport for the period from October 27 to 28, as well as the data on the inspections of the private plane and passengers.
The complaint was filed by a leader of the Workers' Party
The proceedings in Buenos Aires were initiated following a complaint by Gabriel Solano, a leader of the Workers' Party. He requested that it be verified whether representatives of the Argentine authorities facilitated Bolsonaro's entry and exit, as well as whether actions were carried out that could be considered aggravated concealment, abuse of power, failure to perform official duties, embezzlement and improper spending of public funds. These allegations have not yet been proven.
According to the complaint, Bolsonaro crossed into Argentina via Puerto Iguazu and later departed on a private plane operated by the company “Baires Fly“. The investigation must clarify what checks were carried out and whether Argentine institutions had information about his situation in Brazil.
Separate case in Puerto Iguazu dismissed
Meanwhile, federal prosecutor Aníbal Fabian Martínez has dismissed a separate complaint related to Bolsonaro's alleged illegal entry into Argentina. The decision is based on data from migration authorities and Interpol.
Migration records show that Bolsonaro entered Brazil on October 27 at 10:37 p.m. through the Tancredo Neves International Bridge and departed the same day at 11:52 p.m. from Cataratas del Iguazu Airport on a flight to Ecuador. Interpol reported that no active restrictions, requests or arrest warrants were found in the bases checked.
“Citizen Flavio Nantes Bolsonaro entered and left the national territory in a completely regular manner”, Martinez stated in his decree. He concluded that no violations were found in the migration procedure or in the actions of the control authorities. The decision only concerns the facts in the province of Misiones and does not end the case, which is being heard before the Capuchetti court in Buenos Aires.
The next step in the case in the capital is for the prosecutor's office to analyze the information gathered and decide whether to request the formal initiation of criminal proceedings.
Sources: a24.com, tn.com.ar, ellitoral.com