Judge Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday called on the Federal Highway Police to break up the blockades, organized mainly by truckers, a key Bolsonaro constituency. Highway police said truckers had blocked highways at 271 points, partially or fully, as part of protests that spread to 23 of Brazil’s 26 states after Bolsonaro’s defeat by Lula in Sunday’s election. The police force said another 192 roadblocks had been cleared. Bolsonaro remained silent for more than 36 hours after narrowly losing the second round with 49.1 percent of the vote compared to Lula’s 50.9 percent. His silence – both in public and on social media – and his refusal to immediately concede defeat has raised concerns that Bolsonaro could seek ways to challenge the results. For months, the former army chief has falsely claimed that Brazil’s electronic voting system is vulnerable to fraud. Critics said the claim was part of a plan to cast doubt on his likely defeat and similar to tactics used by former US President Donald Trump, whom Bolsonaro emulated. Al Jazeera’s Monica Giannacio, reporting from Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, said many of the far-right leader’s allies have recognized Lula’s victory. Some, including his chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, have already begun contacting the Lula camp to discuss a transition, while others, including the president of the lower house of Congress, have said publicly that the Bolsonaro government must respect the election result. “I doubt it [Bolsonaro] he will say he does not accept the results because there is no one to support him in this,” Yanakiew said. But he described Bolsonaro’s silence as “very strong” complicating what should be a smooth transition. “The fact that President Jair Bolsonaro hasn’t opened his mouth since the election results were announced doesn’t help at all.” In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the presidency said Bolsonaro would “immediately” review the election result. Communications Minister Fabio Faria told Reuters news agency earlier that he would not contest the results. Supporters of Bolsonaro block the Presidente Dutra federal highway in Jacarei, Sao Paulo state, on October 31, 2022 [Roosevelt Cassio/Reuters] Meanwhile, Brazil’s Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin will coordinate the transition to the next government and plans to start it on Thursday, Lula’s Labor Party chief Gleisi Hoffmann said. He said he would talk again about the transition with Nogueira, Bolsonaro’s chief of staff.
Blocked roads
Since Monday, pro-Bolsonaro protesters have blocked roads across the country, including at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport, the country’s main international air hub, as well as in Rio de Janeiro. A banner reading “Lula No!” hanged from a bridge in Sao Paulo. But the state with the most roadblocks was Santa Catarina in the south, where nearly 70 percent of voters backed Bolsonaro. “I hope I can go back home,” real estate agent Rosangela Senna, 62, told AFP news agency at a bus station in Sao Paulo, where she was unable to catch her bus back to Rio. “I could pay a day to sleep in a hotel here, but a lot of people had to wait right here at the bus station,” he said. Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling, which was upheld by a majority of the 11-member court, ordered police to take “all measures” needed to clear the roads. The decision also fined the Director General of the Motorway Police Silvini Vasquez if he fails to clear the roadblocks. Vasques had come under fire for posting an Instagram story on election day urging Brazilians to vote for Bolsonaro. The far-right leader, whose mantra was “God, family, country”, had campaigned on his conservative values, including his opposition to legalized abortion and drugs, while falsely warning that Lula’s return would lead to persecution of churches . Many international leaders have congratulated Lula on his victory, including US President Joe Biden, who in a call to the president-elect on Monday “also praised the strength of Brazil’s democratic institutions following free, fair and credible elections.” .
