Brazil’s political landscape has been rocked by revelations that former President Jair Bolsonaro considered fleeing to Argentina and seeking political asylum, as federal police intensify their probe into his alleged attempts to overturn the 2022 election. Documents and phone messages reviewed by the Associated Press and detailed in a sweeping 170-page police report have laid bare the depth of Bolsonaro’s planning, his appeals to international allies, and the mounting legal jeopardy he now faces.
According to the Associated Press, Brazil’s federal police uncovered messages on Bolsonaro’s phone indicating he drafted a letter to Argentine President Javier Milei requesting asylum. The document, dated February 10, 2024, was saved just two days after authorities raided Bolsonaro’s home and office as part of their investigation into the alleged coup plot. The letter, which ran to 33 pages, stated, “I, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, request political asylum from Your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina, under an urgent regime, as I find myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear for my life.”
This draft was never formally delivered, with Argentine government spokesperson Manuel Adorni confirming they had not received any official request. Still, the revelation has ignited speculation about Bolsonaro’s intentions and the lengths he was willing to go to avoid prosecution in Brazil. Around the same time, Bolsonaro admitted to spending two nights at the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília, further fueling rumors he was seeking refuge to avoid arrest. These maneuvers, police allege, form part of a broader pattern of obstruction of justice, including Bolsonaro’s violation of house arrest restrictions and his continued efforts to discredit Brazil’s democratic institutions.
The police report, as cited by AP and News18, accuses Bolsonaro and his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, of flouting legal restrictions and mobilizing allies against Brazil’s Supreme Court and Congress. The former president is specifically accused of “spreading content to his allies to directly hit Brazilian democratic institutions, notably the Supreme Court and even Brazil’s Congress,” as the report puts it. The evidence includes a trove of messaging app exchanges, voice messages, and documents, all of which have been forwarded to Brazil’s Supreme Court.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case, has given Bolsonaro’s legal team 48 hours to explain why he sought asylum in Argentina and failed to comply with other house arrest conditions, such as avoiding contact with people outside his family circle. Bolsonaro’s passport was seized by order of the Supreme Court on February 8, 2024, a move justified by authorities on the grounds that he posed a flight risk. Despite repeated requests to have his passport returned—including attempts made before Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year—de Moraes has steadfastly refused, citing the ongoing investigation.
Bolsonaro has not commented publicly on the latest developments. However, the police report details his attempts to leverage international connections, particularly with the United States, to sway public opinion and, potentially, legal outcomes. According to News18 and AP, Bolsonaro and his son discussed ways to invoke support from former U.S. President Donald Trump. In one exchange, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who relocated to the U.S. earlier this year despite retaining his seat in Brazil’s congress, told his father, “The most powerful man in the world is on your side. We did our part.”
Other messages reveal Eduardo’s anxieties about the shifting political winds in the U.S. “You won’t have time to reverse the situation if the guy here turns his back on you. Everything here is very touchy, every little thing affects you,” he warned. Eduardo also urged his father to “ACT RESPONSIBLY” to avoid a prolonged stay in the U.S., and claimed that he and an ally, Paulo Figueiredo, were the only ones with access to the White House. He insisted that Trump’s intervention was Bolsonaro’s “only chance” to avoid prison, adding, “In today’s situation, you don’t even need to worry about jail; you won’t be arrested. But I’m afraid things will change here (in the United States). Even inside the White House, there are people telling (Trump): ‘OK, Brazil is gone. Let’s move on.’”
The investigation also uncovered Bolsonaro’s communications with Martin de Luca, a lawyer for the video platform Rumble and the Trump Media Group, who was involved in a lawsuit challenging Justice de Moraes in U.S. courts. On July 14, 2025, de Luca informed Bolsonaro about interview requests from U.S. media outlets. Bolsonaro responded by seeking advice on a public statement, saying, “I drafted a note, I think I sent it to you, with four short paragraphs. It is good, praising Trump, saying that freedom is much more important than economic issues. I was really happy with Trump, very grateful to him. Please guide me with a short statement from your side, so I can post it on my channels and send it back to you.”
The fallout from the investigation has extended beyond the Bolsonaro family. Silas Malafaia, a prominent evangelical pastor and staunch Bolsonaro ally, had his passport and cell phone seized by investigators, although he has not been formally accused of obstruction of justice. The broader probe alleges that Bolsonaro and several of his close associates headed a criminal organization that plotted to overturn the election, with prosecutors claiming there were even plans to kill President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Justice de Moraes.
Bolsonaro’s ties to Argentina’s President Milei have also drawn attention. While Bolsonaro attended Milei’s inauguration in December 2023, incumbent President Lula did not, underscoring the frosty relationship between Brazil’s current government and its right-wing neighbor. Both Bolsonaro and Milei are vocal supporters of Donald Trump, who recently repeated some of Bolsonaro’s claims when announcing steep tariffs on Brazilian exports.
A verdict and sentencing in the coup trial are expected from a five-justice Supreme Court panel between September 2 and 12, 2025. Notably, the latest findings regarding the asylum plan and international communications will not be included in that decision, but they add to the mounting legal and political pressures facing Bolsonaro. Should the attorney-general decide to pursue additional charges based on the new evidence, Bolsonaro could soon find himself facing yet another high-profile trial.
As Brazil waits for the Supreme Court’s ruling, the case has become a lightning rod for debate about the health of the country’s democracy, the reach of its legal system, and the enduring influence of populist leaders across the Americas. While Bolsonaro’s supporters claim he is the victim of political persecution, critics see the investigation as a necessary reckoning for alleged crimes against the state. With the world watching, Brazil’s political future may hinge on the outcome of these unprecedented legal battles.
