BRAZIL · POLITICS
Key Facts
- When and where Thursday, 5 November 2026, at the CPAC gala inside Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s club in Palm Beach, Florida.
- Who Flávio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian senator who lost the 25 October presidential runoff to President Lula.
- Why it matters It would be his first public event in the United States since leaving Brazil.
- Also on the bill His brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, a former lawmaker who lives in the United States.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
Flávio Bolsonaro, the Brazilian senator who lost the presidential runoff to Lula, is due to speak on Thursday 5 November in Florida. The conservative gala is hosted by CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach.
It would be his first public appearance in the United States since he left Brazil last week. For American readers it shows how close the Bolsonaro family still is to Trump’s political world after Lula’s win.
Flávio Bolsonaro Takes the Stage at Mar-a-Lago
CPAC’s organisers announced on Wednesday 4 November that Flávio Bolsonaro is among the speakers at their annual gala. CPAC’s own event page lists the meeting as running from 4 to 7 November at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.
The page also names his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro as a speaker, along with U.S. senators Mike Lee and Rick Scott. Tickets to the gala alone cost US$2,500, and the most expensive packages reach US$25,000.
This is not his first CPAC stage. He spoke at the group’s meeting in Grapevine, Texas, on 28 March, when he was still a presidential hopeful.
How He Got to Florida
Lula, of the Workers’ Party, won the runoff on Sunday 25 October, and Brazil’s electoral court declared him re-elected that evening. He beat Flávio by more than four million votes.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the senator to hand in his passport and not to leave Brazil. When he did not comply by Tuesday 27 October, the Federal Police cancelled his passports.
Flávio has been in the United States since Wednesday 28 October. On Saturday 31 October Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that Flávio can stay in the country as long as he wants.
Trump added that he has no plan to meet the senator for now. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the U.S. government was not directly involved in arranging the trip, though Flávio was allowed to enter.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Flávio Bolsonaro is a senator for the state of Rio de Janeiro and the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. He ran for president for the conservative Liberal Party and lost to Lula.
Eduardo Bolsonaro is Flávio’s brother and a former member of Brazil’s lower house of Congress. He lives in the United States and faces an arrest order in Brazil.
Alexandre de Moraes is a Justice of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, the country’s top court. The Federal Police is the national force that enforces his orders, including passport cancellations.
CPAC is the Conservative Political Action Conference, the largest annual gathering of the U.S. conservative movement. Its Mar-a-Lago gala is a fundraising dinner at Trump’s Florida club.
What It Means for You
If you follow U.S. politics, the gala shows that Trump’s circle still welcomes the Bolsonaro family even after Lula’s clear victory. It also keeps Brazil’s election aftermath in front of American conservatives and in Washington.
If you hold Brazilian stocks, bonds or ADRs, the stage itself changes little today. Any open clash between Washington and Brasília over the Bolsonaros, however, can move the real and trade talks.
What Is Not Known
It is not known what Flávio Bolsonaro will say on stage or whether he will comment on the court order. The topic of his speech has not been announced.
It is not known whether he plans to return to Brazil or how long he will stay in the United States. It is also unclear whether Brazilian courts will act further over his departure.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Flávio Bolsonaro?
Flávio Bolsonaro is a Brazilian senator for Rio de Janeiro and the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. He lost the 25 October runoff to President Lula.
Where is the CPAC gala being held?
The gala is at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, which is President Trump’s private club. CPAC lists its Mar-a-Lago meeting for 4 to 7 November 2026.
Why did Flávio Bolsonaro leave Brazil?
Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered him to hand in his passport and stay in the country. He then travelled to the United States, where he has been since 28 October.
Will Trump meet Flávio Bolsonaro?
On 31 October Trump said he has no plan to meet him for now. He added that Flávio is welcome to stay in the United States as long as he wishes.
Sources: CPAC, Mar-a-Lago meeting page and speaker list, accessed 5 Nov 2026; CPAC, announcement of Flávio Bolsonaro at CPAC USA 2026, March 2026; Superior Electoral Court (TSE), declaration of Lula as re-elected, 25 Oct 2026; Supreme Federal Court order on passports and Federal Police cancellation, 26-27 Oct 2026; Public remarks by President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio, 31 Oct 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Brazil runoff, Sunday, October 25: Brazil runoff start time and results schedule. Latest: Brazil runoff polls, Flávio 51%, Lula 49%.