RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday criticized defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro for fleeing the country following the election, calling the move “shameful.”
“I regret that he fled Brazil ... And his decision is shameful,” Lula told supporters who gathered outside the Alvorada Palace, the presidential residence in Brasilia, to celebrate his 81st birthday.
Federal lawmaker Mauricio Marcon of the Liberal Party said on Tuesday that Bolsonaro had left Brazil and was heading to the United States.
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court barred Flavio from leaving the country on Monday. According to Brazilian media reports, the judicial order relates to a money-laundering investigation in which the court is investigating both Bolsonaro and lawyer Willer Tomaz.
Lula defeated Bolsonaro in Sunday’s presidential runoff, winning 51.79 percent of the valid votes against Bolsonaro’s 48.21 percent.
The U.S. State Department will issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family and allow them to enter the U.S., U.S. media reported, citing a senior department official.
Brazil’s central bank said on Tuesday it sees no “significant risk” to the country’s financial stability, noting that the financial system maintains adequate levels of capitalization and liquidity, and the capacity to withstand adverse scenarios.
The bank’s financial stability report for the first half of 2026 published on Tuesday pointed to a slowdown in credit for households and businesses, a trend consistent with high interest rates and a more moderate economic activity, as financial institutions have become more cautious in granting loans.
However, the report indicated that despite pressures regarding capital and liquidity, banks remain capable of weathering adverse economic conditions. The report showed an increase in credit-related difficulties among households, with delinquency reaching its highest level since 2012 across most types of credit.