Jair Bolsonaro avoided conceding defeat in his first public remarks since losing the presidential runoff election. Photo: AFP
Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro avoided conceding defeat in his first public remarks since losing Sunday's election, saying protests since then were the fruit of "indignation and a sense of injustice" over the vote.
His chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, speaking after Bolsonaro's brief public address, said Bolsonaro had authorised him to begin the transition process with representatives of leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
It took Bolsonaro more than 44 hours to make his first public remarks since the election was decided by electoral authorities, making him the first Brazilian president to lose a re-election bid. He has still not spoken with Lula.
Amid his silence, supporters blocked highways to protest his defeat, with some calling for a military coup to stop former President Lula from returning to power. Bolsonaro's delay in recognising Lula's election raised fear that he would contest the narrow result of the election.
In a national address on Tuesday that lasted just a few minutes, Bolsonaro thanked Brazilians who voted for him and reiterated that he would follow the country's constitution, which stipulates a transition of power on 1 January.
highways blocked by Bolsonaro supporters included key roads used to move grains from farm states to ports, as well as a major road linking the two largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Photo: AFP
He referred to the demonstrations as a "popular movement" and said they should avoid destroying property or "impeding the right to come and go."
That may not be enough to defuse the protests across Brazil by small groups of his supporters, which have begun to cause economic disruptions draw calls from farm and retail groups for Bolsonaro to begin a transition.
Close political allies, including his chief of staff and Vice President Hamilton Mourao, have begun to make contact with the Lula camp to discuss a transition. Others, including the speaker of the lower house of Congress, called on the Bolsonaro government to respect the election result.
The powerful agricultural lobby CNA, representing farmers who were important campaign donors for Bolsonaro, said it was ready for conversations with the incoming government.
Before Sunday's vote, Bolsonaro repeatedly made baseless claims the electoral system was open to fraud and accused electoral authorities of favoring his leftist adversary.
Trucks block Castelo Branco Highway on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. Photo: AFP
Bolsonaro supporters block highways
Truckers - who have benefited from Bolsonaro lowering diesel costs - are one of the president's key constituencies, and they have previously disrupted Brazil's economy with highway closures.
The Brazilian supermarkets lobby has reported supply problems due to the protests and appealed to Bolsonaro to resolve the situation before shop shelves begin to empty.
The Supreme Court ordered police to remove scores of blockades that had blocked access to a key grains-exporting port, shut off the country's largest airport started to affect the transportation of food and fuel.
The highways blocked by Bolsonaro supporters included key roads used to move grains from farm states to ports, as well as a major road linking the two largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. File image. Photo: AFP
The main access road to Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport, the busiest in the country, was temporarily blocked by dozens of demonstrators and 25 flights were cancelled, the airport said. But Governor Rodrigo Garcia said the highway was reopened on Tuesday morning.
"We honest Brazilians are against the return of that gang that looted state coffers," said truck driver Vando Soares, opposed to the return to office of Lula, whose 2003-2010 presidency was marked by widespread corruption.
"We are not moving until that bandit is stopped from assuming as president," he said.
Another demonstrator, Naiele Souza, said she thought Bolsonaro was waiting to see how the demonstrations went before addressing the nation.
Lula's win represents a stunning comeback for the 77-year-old former metalworker, who governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010 but then spent time in prison for corruption convictions that were later annulled.
Lula has vowed to overturn many of Bolsonaro's policies, including pro-gun measures and weak protection of the Amazon rainforest.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes called on the Federal Highway Police (PRF) to remove all the trucker blockades.
Some truckers posted videos calling for a military coup to stop Lula from taking office.
The PRF said truckers were blocking highways partially or fully in more than 200 locations, as part of protests that have spread to 21 of Brazil's 26 states and Federal District. They said another 192 roadblocks had been cleared.
- Reuters
