Flávio Bolsonaro Meets with Trump at the White House

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro met with former U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Allies of the senator, who is considering a presidential run, released photographs of the encounter, showing Trump seated alongside Flávio, and in another image, businessman Paulo Figueiredo and former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro posing with Trump.

The U.S. government had not officially confirmed the meeting. Earlier, Flávio Bolsonaro had posted on social media that he was on his way to the White House for a "very nice conversation," but did not initially reveal his companion.

Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Washington on Monday and is staying at a hotel where rooms start at $500 per night. Darren Beattie, a State Department official handling Brazil-related affairs and a Trump advisor, was seen leaving Flávio's hotel. Beattie's visa to enter Brazil was denied, a decision announced by President Lula as a response to Brazil's denial of a visa for its Health Minister, Alexandre Padilha. Beattie was reportedly planning to visit Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently imprisoned.

Figueiredo stated that Flávio Bolsonaro was in Washington for a series of meetings. One of the primary topics discussed, according to Figueiredo, was a request for the U.S. to classify Brazilian criminal factions like Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as "foreign terrorist organizations." Figueiredo claimed that documentation had been submitted to U.S. authorities and that the group, including Eduardo Bolsonaro, aims to "reverse" actions by President Lula on this matter. Lula, who met with Trump three weeks prior, stated that the designation of factions as terrorists was not on the agenda for his meeting, but a proposal for U.S.-Brazil cooperation against organized crime was presented.