Rubio says Bolsonaro entered US on parole, but Trump administration did not help him flee Brazil

Rubio describes US entry decision

Rubio said the administration learned Bolsonaro had arrived in the United States. Bolsonaro had held a visa before Trump decided to allow him into the country, Rubio said.

The secretary of state also said he met Brazil’s foreign minister, Mauro Vieira, in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday. Rubio expected to meet Brazilian officials again in November, during a foreign ministers meeting in France.

Investigation and passport order

Bolsonaro is being investigated in Brazil over alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. Before leaving, he had been ordered to hand over his passport because police considered him a flight risk. He lost a run-off election to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva before departing Brazil for the United States, travelling through Argentina and Ecuador.

Trump comments on Bolsonaro

Trump said Bolsonaro had been treated poorly and could stay in the United States for as long as he wished. He made the remarks to reporters on Saturday at his Florida residence.

Reuters reported that Bolsonaro entered the country through humanitarian parole, a status that usually lasts one year. Some US media outlets said Jason Miller, a White House official, helped arrange part of Bolsonaro’s journey.

Bolsonaro’s claims after arrival

Since reaching the United States, Bolsonaro has called himself Brazil’s true “leader” and said he left because he was being persecuted. Rubio’s account that the administration did not help Bolsonaro flee contrasts with reports by some US media outlets that Miller helped arrange part of the trip.