A senior U.S. State Department official said on Tuesday that the Trump administration will issue visas to Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and his family, allowing them to enter the United States. The announcement followed news reports that Bolsonaro had left Brazil after losing the country's presidential election. It came one day after Brazil's Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passports as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.

Bolsonaro, the son of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, has denied any wrongdoing. On Monday he said he had "never thought about leaving the country" and would remain in Brazil to lead the opposition. He lost the election by more than 4.4 million votes. He initially refused to acknowledge the result and said he would seek its annulment, but his party issued a statement on Monday saying it accepted the outcome.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, speaking in Brasilia during celebrations of his 81st birthday, criticized the senator's departure. "A person who sneaks out of their country must have something to hide," he said, adding that leaving Brazil was "shameful" and that Bolsonaro should have stayed to prove his innocence. Lula also said Brazil is the Bolsonaro family's "second country" while the United States is their first. He has previously accused members of the family of courting U.S. interference in Brazilian affairs for political gain.

U.S. President Donald Trump responded to the election by casting doubt on the result, telling reporters it "looked like another rigged election." No evidence has emerged that the vote was marred by malfeasance. Critics pointed to a last-minute decision to extend polling hours, but Lula's victory was commanding and the extension was considered unlikely to have changed the outcome.

Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro said Trump should tell Congress whether his administration played a role in Bolsonaro's exit. "Losing an election is not grounds for asylum," Castro said, noting that Bolsonaro is under investigation for alleged corruption, money laundering and currency evasion. Bolsonaro's younger brother, Eduardo, who lives in the U.S. and was convicted in absentia in June for illegally lobbying the Trump administration, said in a podcast interview earlier this month that Flavio should leave Brazil if he lost the race. The episode is likely to add strain to relations between Washington and Brasilia, and questions remain over how Brazilian courts will respond to the senator's absence.