4.4 million: The vote gap in Brazil's election as Flávio Bolsonaro departs

Flávio Bolsonaro departed Brazil for the United States on Tuesday, following his defeat in the country's presidential election. The move occurred as a deadline for him to turn in his travel documents expired at noon. Multiple media reports confirmed the departure, though a spokesperson for the senator did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Bolsonaro, 45, lost the election held on Sunday to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, received more than 64 million votes. Bolsonaro garnered fewer than 60 million votes, creating a margin of nearly 4 percent. The senator has refused to concede the loss and has raised claims of election fraud that lack supporting evidence.

The sequence of events began on Sunday, when the Supreme Court issued a sealed order requiring Bolsonaro to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports. He was served with the order on Monday, outside the home in Brasilia where his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence. The former president is under house arrest for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

Bolsonaro initially sought to have the election results annulled. This request followed chaotic scenes at polling places that led authorities to extend voting by two hours. On Monday, he urged the electoral court to investigate alleged fraud and nullify the candidacies of Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. The court has never nullified a presidential candidacy before.

To overturn the result, Bolsonaro must present evidence of fraud that affected the 4.4 million-vote margin. He must convince the eight-member electoral court before the results are certified on December 18. In a video posted on social media on Monday, Bolsonaro stated he had no plans to leave Brazil. He said he was working to organize opposition among his congressional colleagues to the results.

His term as a senator ends on January 31, 2027. Upon leaving office, he will lose special jurisdiction at the country's Supreme Court. He is currently under investigation in two cases involving alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. In one case, he is accused of using a sports betting company to launder funds from fraudulent pension deductions. In the other, he is accused of accepting millions of dollars from a disgraced banker. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing in both matters.

Documents reviewed by prosecutors suggest the funds from the banker were used to cover expenses for Bolsonaro's brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in Texas. The funds were also used to promote Flávio Bolsonaro's political agenda with the Trump administration. Eduardo had publicly encouraged his brother to leave Brazil if he lost the election.

Brazilians on social media questioned the senator's whereabouts before his departure. Reporters gathered outside his home in Brasilia on Tuesday, but he did not appear. A spokesperson for Argentina's Ministry of Security denied reports that Bolsonaro had entered that country. Paulo Figueiredo, a close ally living in the United States, said he had no desire to speak with the press at the moment.

He stated that months of intense work were unfairly thwarted and asked reporters not to persist. He added that he would reach out if he had a statement to make.