9. Political exile or departure under investigation? Flavio's allies portray his departure as a response to the political persecution they say he will suffer in Brazil. However, the senator left the country after an express court order forbidding him to travel and demanding the surrender of his passports. This difference is central: the claim of persecution does not automatically make leaving the country a political exile, just as failure to comply with a court order does not make it possible to determine, without the corresponding legal assessment, that someone has already been officially declared a fugitive. The chapter requires distinguishing between political arguments, documented facts and legal implications.

9. Political exile or departure under investigation? Flavio's allies portray his departure as a response to the political persecution they say he will suffer in Brazil. However, the senator left the country after an express court order forbidding him to travel and demanding the surrender of his passports. This difference is central: the claim of persecution does not automatically make leaving the country a political exile, just as failure to comply with a court order does not make it possible to determine, without the corresponding legal assessment, that someone has already been officially declared a fugitive. The chapter requires distinguishing between political arguments, documented facts and legal implications.