Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, who was voted out of office in Brazil, set up more than 200 roadblocks to protest the results of the presidential election. Many truck drivers were among the demonstrators, as the Brazilian newspaper “Folha de S. Paulo” reported, citing the police. Accordingly, the blockades affected important traffic axes such as a city highway in the economic metropolis and a connecting road between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Miles of traffic jams developed. According to the “Folha”, some protesters hung Brazilian flags on their trucks, and some also insulted the elected President Lula da Silva. The feared outbreaks of violence did not materialize. However, according to “Folha” there were riots. The President of the Supreme Electoral Court ordered the police to end the blockades.
The left ex-president Lula had narrowly won the runoff election for the presidency in the largest country in Latin America. He received 50.9 percent of the votes on Sunday, as announced by the electoral office in Brasília. The right-wing incumbent Bolsonaro received 49.1 percent.
His supporter truckers are a powerful profession in Brazil because much of the country’s freight is transported by road. Bolsonaro himself went into hiding after the election and had not commented 24 hours after the result was announced. According to media reports, he spent the morning at his residence in Brasília and then drove to the President’s office for talks.
Accordingly, several ministers and advisers tried to persuade him to concede defeat. Before the vote, Bolsonaro repeatedly cast doubt on the electoral system and indicated that he might not recognize the result. At least several of his allies, including the powerful speaker of Parliament Artur Lira, acknowledged his defeat.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden also congratulated Lula on his victory. Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández even traveled to the neighboring country on Monday to personally congratulate Lula.
The two men met at a hotel in São Paulo and hugged, according to a video posted by Fernández on Twitter. “All my love, admiration and respect, dear comrade,” wrote the Argentine head of state. Lula’s team, meanwhile, prepared for a change of government without the help of the incumbent leader.
“I hope that normalcy will prevail for the good of Brazil and the Brazilian people. If the president, if Jair Bolsonaro doesn’t want to attend, okay,” Lula’s Labor Party (PT) leader and campaign manager Gleisi Hoffmann told Globo News. At least at the working level there were first contacts. According to media reports, the head of communications for Lula’s election campaign, Edinho Silva, spoke to Bolsonaro’s head of cabinet, Ciro Nogueira, on Monday.
