Brazil election: Jair Bolsonaro stays silent as his supporters block roads after his defeat to Lula | World Information

Jair Bolsonaro has nonetheless not spoken publicly after dropping his bid for re-election.

The outgoing Brazilian president was overwhelmed by his veteran left-wing rival, Lula da Silva, recognized within the nation merely as “Lula”, within the run-off on Sunday.

However the normally outspoken right-winger has been uncharacteristically quiet, neither conceding defeat nor questioning the results of the closest contest since Brazil returned to democracy in 1985, which Lula gained by 50.9% to 49.1%.

Mr Bolsonaro hasn’t even posted on any of his normally very energetic social media accounts because the defeat.

It comes as Bolsonaro supporting truckers have blocked roads throughout the nation.

By Monday night time, the Federal Freeway Police had reported 236 incidents throughout 18 of Brazil’s states.

Footage confirmed lorries parked on the highway and burning tyres as some Bolsonaro supporters waved Brazilian flags, voicing their anger on the consequence.

Ricardo Barros, Mr Bolsonaro’s whip within the Decrease Home, stated that he was with the president on Monday and that he was “nonetheless deciding” whether or not to talk about the election’s outcomes.

Earlier than the election, the outgoing president steadily questioned the reliability of Brazil’s digital voting system, at one level claiming to have proof of fraud, although he supplied no proof.

As lately as final month, he remarked that if he did not win within the election’s first spherical, one thing was “irregular” – despite the fact that most polls confirmed him trailing.

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On Brazil’s independence day final yr, he informed a cheering crowd that solely God can take away him from workplace, then continued: “For all of us, there are solely three options, particularly for me: arrested, lifeless or victorious. Inform the scoundrels I will by no means be arrested!”

Paulo Calmon, a political science professor on the College of Brasilia, stated: “He will need to have a number of plans for contest the outcomes of the polls; the query is whether or not he has the political help to go forward with these plans.

“He will not have the help of Sao Paulo’s governor, of the Decrease Home, Senate, and he must face opposition from everybody.”

Mr Calmon added that Mr Bolsonaro had stated throughout an interview final month that he would settle for the consequence even when he misplaced, however that congratulating da Silva would damage his recognition amongst his most radical base.

The consequence was a large flip of fortune for Lula, who was final president from 2003-2010, and unable to run within the 2018 election Mr Bolsonaro gained after being imprisoned for corruption.

“In the present day, the one winner is the Brazilian folks,” the 77-year-old stated in a speech at a resort in downtown Sao Paulo.

“This is not a victory of mine or the Employees’ Celebration, nor the events that supported me within the marketing campaign. It is the victory of a democratic motion that fashioned above political events, private pursuits and ideologies.”

Lula has promised to control past his get together saying he desires to usher in centrists and even some right-leaning individuals who voted for him for the primary time.

Nevertheless, he’s prone to face strident opposition from extra conservative lawmakers within the more and more politically polarised surroundings Brazil finds itself in.

His inauguration is scheduled to happen on New Yr’s Day within the capital, Brasilia.