Federal Highway Police (PRF) executive director Marco Antonio Territo de Barros told a news conference in the capital Brasilia that there were 267 roadblocks across the country and that 306 had already been dispersed as of Sunday. “It is a complex undertaking, involving more than 75,000 kilometers (46,500 miles) of federal highways,” he said. On Monday night, protests blocked roads outside Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport, the country’s main international hub, and several flights were cancelled, local media reported. Key routes to other cities, such as Rio de Janeiro, were also blocked. A banner reading “Lula No!” hanged from a bridge in Sao Paulo. Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gather as they block the BR-060 highway during a protest against President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won a third term after the second round of presidential elections, in Abadiana, Brazil, October 31 2022. Mateus Bonomi/Anadolu Agency/Getty “I hope I can go back home,” real estate agent Rosangela Senna, 62, said at a bus station in Sao Paulo, where she was unable to catch her bus back to Rio. “I could pay for a day to sleep in a hotel here, but a lot of people had to wait right here at the bus station.” Bolsonaro, often referred to as “Tropical Trump” for his similarities to the former US president, had yet to concede defeat, more than 40 hours after official results showed Lula winning the presidential election with just 1.8 percentage units. There were fears in Brazil that Bolsonaro, 67, could attempt a Brazilian version of the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riots that rocked the US after former US President Donald Trump refused to accept his 2020 election defeat . But the Brazilian leader may find himself isolated. Some of Bolsonaro’s key allies have publicly acknowledged his loss, including the powerful speaker of the lower house of Congress, Arthur Lira, and while the president himself has remained largely silent since the election results were announced, leaders from around the world — including Bolsonaro’s allies in China and Russia — offered their congratulations to Lula. Brazil’s Communications Minister Fabio Faria told Reuters news agency that Bolsonaro would address the nation later on Tuesday and would not dispute his defeat in the polls, although there was no immediate confirmation from the president himself.
Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gather and block a highway during a protest against President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won a third term after the second round of presidential elections, in Alexania, Brazil, October 31, 2022. Mateus Bonomi / Anadolu Agency/Getty The state with the most roadblocks was southern Santa Catarina, where nearly 70% of voters backed Bolsonaro in the election. A Supreme Court judge on Monday night ordered the “immediate clearing of highways and public roads,” in a statement. The court ordered the PRF to take “all measures” needed to free up the roads, threatening its director with a fine or imprisonment for “disobedience” if the order is not carried out. Traffic chief Silvinei Vasques came under fire for posting an Instagram story on election day urging Brazilians to vote for Bolsonaro.