Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday avoided conceding defeat to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in his first public remarks since Sunday’s election, saying protests since then had to be “the result of indignation and a sense of injustice” by the vote.
His chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, speaking after Bolsonaro’s brief public speech, said they would begin the transition process to Lula’s government.
Bolsonaro took more than 44 hours to make his first public statements since the election was decided by electoral authorities, making him the first Brazilian president to lose a re-election bid. He still hasn’t spoken to Lula.
Amid his silence, supporters blocked roads to protest his defeat, with some calling for a military coup to prevent Lula, a former president, from returning to power. Bolsonaro’s delay in recognizing Lula’s election raised fears that he would contest the narrow election result.
Road blockages have disrupted fuel distribution, supermarket supplies and the flow of grain exports to major ports, according to industry groups.
Federal highway police officers stand on Tuesday as Bolsonaro supporters block the BR-251 highway in Planaltina, Brazil, during a protest against the results of the second round of elections. (Diego Vara/Reuters)
In his brief national address, Bolsonaro joked that journalists would miss him, thanked those who voted for him and said he would respect the constitution, which stipulates a transition of power on January 1.
“The current popular movements are the result of indignation and a sense of injustice at the way the electoral process was developed”, he said.
He said protesters should avoid destroying property or “impeding the right to come and go,” but stopped short of telling them to go home.
“Bolsonaro has not put out that fire. He spoke to his supporters without criticizing the protesters on the roads,” political risk analyst Andre Cesar told Hold Legislative Advisors in Brasilia.
“It keeps its most extremist followers mobilized.”
The court orders the protesters to be removed
Bolsonaro’s chief of staff and Vice President Hamilton Mourao have begun contacting Lula’s camp to discuss a transition. Other allies, including the president of the lower house of Congress, have asked since Sunday that Bolsonaro’s government respect the election result.
In a statement, Brazil’s Supreme Court said it considered that by authorizing the transition of government, Bolsonaro recognized the election result.
Ahead of Sunday’s vote, Bolsonaro repeatedly made baseless claims that the electoral system was open to fraud and accused electoral authorities of favoring his opponent.
Early Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered the police to remove dozens of roadblocks set up by Bolsonaro’s supporters.
The Federal Highway Police (PRF) said truck drivers were blocking roads at 271 points, partially or fully, as part of protests that have spread to 23 of Brazil’s 26 states following Bolsonaro’s loss to da Silva Police said another 192 cuts had been cleaned.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes asked the PRF to lift all the blockades, which have been organized mainly by truckers, a core constituency of Bolsonaro’s government that has benefited from his reduction in diesel costs.
Moraes was quickly joined by six other judges in a virtual session early on Tuesday as they formed a majority on the 11-member court to support their decision, fines PRF director general Silvinei Vasques if he didn’t act to remove obstacles.
LOOK | Scenes and sounds from the crash sites:
Brazilian truck drivers block roads to support Bolsonaro
Brazil’s truck drivers are blocking roads or highways in many states to show their support for Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the second round of Sunday’s presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has not granted the elections.
Some truck drivers posted videos calling for a military coup to stop the man known as Lula, a leftist who served as Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010, from taking office.
Roads that have been blocked included key roads used to move grain from farming states to ports, as well as a major road linking the two largest cities. Brazil’s supermarket lobby reported supply problems and called on Bolsonaro to resolve the situation before store shelves begin to empty.
Transitional talks between officials begin
The main access road to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, the busiest in the country, was temporarily blocked by dozens of protesters and 25 flights were canceled, according to the airport. But Governor Rodrigo García said the road was reopened Tuesday morning.
“Honest Brazilians are against the return of this gang that looted state coffers,” said truck driver Vando Soares, referring to Lula, whose 2003-2010 presidency was marred by corruption generalized
“We’re not moving until this thug stops taking over as president.”
Although Bolsonaro remained silent on his election loss until Tuesday, his political allies and associates had begun to make contacts with Lula’s camp to discuss a transition. Some had publicly declared that Bolsonaro’s government had to respect the election result.
Lula’s victory represents a stunning comeback for the 77-year-old former metal worker, who ruled Brazil from 2003 to 2010 but later spent time in prison on corruption convictions that were later overturned.
Lula has promised to reverse many of Bolsonaro’s policies, including pro-gun measures and lax protection of the Amazon rainforest.
Environmentalists and sustainable investors applauded Lula’s victory and his commitment to protecting the rainforest and restoring Brazil’s leadership on climate change.
World leaders congratulate Lula
Even before he takes office on January 1, 2023, President-elect Lula will send representatives to next month’s COP27 United Nations climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the allied environmentalist said on Monday Marina Silva
The Supreme Electoral Court declared that Lula won 50.9% of the vote, compared to 49.1% for Bolsonaro, who became the first Brazilian incumbent to lose the presidential election.
“I will govern for 215 million Brazilians, and not just for those who voted for me,” Lula said at campaign headquarters. “We are a country, a people, a great nation.”
Scenes from Sunday’s election:
Argentine President Alberto Fernández traveled to São Paulo on Monday to meet with Lula and hailed “a new era for the history of Latin America. A time of hope and a future that begins today.”
Several world leaders sent their congratulations to Lula for the result.
“The people of Brazil have spoken. I look forward to working with @LulaOficial to strengthen the partnership between our countries, to get results for Canadians and Brazilians, and to advance shared priorities such as protecting the environment,” he say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. he said after the results became official.
US President Joe Biden described his election as “free, fair and credible”.