Brazilian police reported that former president Jair Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest, planned to request asylum from the government of Javier Milei in 2024.

The revelation comes from an official report in which investigators also recommended charges against Bolsonaro and one of his sons for allegedly obstructing justice in the case tied to an attempted coup. 

According to authorities, one of Bolsonaro’s confiscated cellphones contained an unsigned, editable document in which the far-right leader described himself as a victim of “political persecution.”

In the draft, he requested refuge in Argentina, arguing that he had been subjected to arbitrary restrictions that limited his freedom in Brazil. 

⚠️A PF encontrou no celular de Bolsonaro essa minuta de pedido de asilo político a Javier Milei, presidente da Argentina pic.twitter.com/1mtCxIGyRb

— Túlio Amâncio (@tulio_amancio) August 20, 2025

The Federal Police report noted that the document “would have enabled his escape to the Argentine Republic, especially after the investigation into the coup attempt began.” Investigators suspect the draft may have been written by the wife of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, one of the former president’s sons. 

The discovery adds to the growing list of legal troubles facing Bolsonaro. In July, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered precautionary measures against him, including an electronic ankle monitor and a ban on using social media, citing flight risk.

When Bolsonaro failed to comply, the court escalated his restrictions to house arrest. 

Another complicated Bolsonaro…

The investigation also implicates another of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, accused of trying to pressure the Supreme Court and undermine the coup case with support from groups in the United States.

According to the report, both father and son may have committed crimes of coercion and attempted abolition of the democratic rule of law by trying to interfere with constitutional powers. 

The case is part of a broader criminal trial in which Bolsonaro is accused of “leading” a conspiracy to stay in power and block the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after losing the 2022 election.

The case has already spilled into international politics. U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an additional 50% tariff on Brazilian imports and announced sanctions on several Supreme Court justices, signaling his political support for Bolsonaro. 

With the trial looming, the revelation of Bolsonaro’s asylum plan involving Javier Milei adds yet another layer of tension to the already fragile situation of the former president, whose chances of avoiding a severe conviction are rapidly dwindling.