Nationwide Protests by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, the outgoing president of Brazil , led by truck drivers, have spread across the country as the Brazilian president remains silent over his loss in Sunday’s election, so far refusing to concede defeat to his foe Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Those who support the outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro have blocked roads across the country, after his poll defeat to leftist rival Luiz Inácio lula da Silva
Blockages were reported in all but two states, causing considerable disruption and affecting food supply chains.
According to reports , Bolsonaro is meeting with heads of the Navy and Air Force at the presidential palace in Brasilia Tuesday morning, in addition to the ministers of defense, justice and public security. Bolsonaro’s Chief of Staff, Ciro Nogueira, and running mate in the election, General Walter Braga Netto, are also attending.
With all the votes counted, Lula had 50.9% of the valid votes against Mr Bolsonaro’s 49.1% in Sunday’s run-off. The incumbent far-right president has neither conceded defeat nor challenged the results that divided the nation.
There are concerns that the outgoing president could complicate the two-month transition period before Lula (full name Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva), a former president, is due to be sworn in on 1 January 2023.
Pro-Bolsonaro lorry drivers started setting up roadblocks across the vast country soon after the election results were announced. By Monday night, the federal highway police reported 342 such incidents, with the biggest protests going on in the country’s south. Some of the blockages were later cleared by police. Many lorry drivers have benefited from lower diesel costs during the Bolsonaro administration.
Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes on Monday ordered the police to disperse the roadblocks immediately. He warned that all those still blocking the roads on Tuesday would be each fined 100,000 Brazilian reals (£16,700: $19,300) per hour.
After narrowly losing to his arch rival. Mr Bolsonaro, 67, is said to have retired to his room to sleep. The following morning, a presidential adviser and Mr Bolsonaro’s vice-presidential running mate were seen arriving at the presidential palace in Brasilia, but it is not clear if he met people close to him and what was said. Later, Mr Bolsonaro was seen leaving the palace and travelling to the building where his official office is located.
Combative statements from the president in the past – such as that “only God” could remove him from office – mean there is a tense wait for him to appear in public. Before the election, he had repeatedly cast unfounded doubts on the voting system.
In his victory speech soon after the results were made public, Lula, 77, touched on the political rift running through Brazil which further deepened during a bitterly fought and often acrimonious election campaign.
“This country needs peace and unity. This population doesn’t want to fight anymore,” he said, promising to govern for all Brazilians and not just for those who had voted for him.
Congratulations have poured in from across the world, including from the leaders of the UK, China, France, India and Russia. US President Biden said the win came “following free, fair and credible elections”.
It is a stunning comeback for Lula, a politician who could not run in the last presidential election in 2018 because he was in jail and banned from standing for office.
More than a day after Brazil’s electoral chief declared Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva the winner of the presidential election, defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro has yet to concede.
The far-right president is said to have gone to sleep after he narrowly lost to his left-wing arch rival.Bolsonaro has refused to make any public comments after losing the presidential runoff to Lula by less than 2 percentage points, the narrowest margin for a presidential election in the country’s modern history. Pressure from some allies is building for him to say something to de-escalate the rising tension. His Communications Minister Fabio Faria said late Monday that he will speak today.
His silence is raising concern that he may not accept the result. He has in the past cast unfounded doubts on the voting system.
Combative statements from Mr Bolsonaro in the past – such as that “only God” could remove him from office
“ Jair Bolsonaro will not publicly address his defeat in Brazil’s presidential election until Tuesday”a minister said, amid doubts over whether the far-right nationalist will accept the victory of his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
“Bolsonaro is too isolated to successfully challenge the results,” said Mario Braga, an analyst with Control Risks in Sao Paulo. While demonstrations by truck drivers and supporters allow him to create a narrative that he has broad backing, “the conditions for him to stay in power simply aren’t there.”
In addition to highways, the port of Paranagua in Parana state was blocked by protesters, according to a statement, while the head of the Brazilian supermarkets association said that some shortages have already begun to be reported by members.
