The United States did not organize or facilitate the departure of Flavio Bolsonaro from Brazil. This was stated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a press conference after the meeting of G-20 foreign ministers in Atlanta.
“We did not facilitate anything“, Rubio said in response to a question about whether Washington was involved in the removal of the Brazilian politician after his loss in the presidential election.
According to him, Bolsonaro already had a US visa when he arrived in the US. “We understand that he arrived in the United States. He already had a visa, and the president made the decision to allow him into the country“, Rubio said.
The Secretary of State stressed that the US government was not directly involved in the preparation or execution of the trip. “We were not involved in any arrangements that he may have made for his departure from Brazil. At the very least, the US government was not directly involved in any of the steps taken“, he said.
Bolsonaro is in Miami after the election defeat
Flavio Bolsonaro lost the presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. According to Brazilian electoral authorities, Lula received 51.8 percent of the vote, a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes.
After the vote, Bolsonaro did not concede defeat and said he was the victim of political and legal persecution. The Associated Press reported that he was already in Miami and intended to lead the opposition from the United States.
His departure was followed by an order to surrender his passports. According to Brazilian authorities, the measure is related to investigations into alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing.
Washington acknowledges entry permit
The issue has raised questions in the US Congress. House Democrats have sent a letter to Rubio demanding information about the possible role of the Donald Trump administration in the Brazilian politician's trip.
At the G-20 summit, Rubio spoke with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. The two agreed to hold a bilateral meeting before the G-20 leaders' meeting scheduled for December 14-15 in Miami.
Sources: apnews.com, noticias.uol.com.br, agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br