Three days after the elections in Brazil, Vice President Hamilton Mourão admitted the defeat of President Jair Bolsonaro. “There’s no point in complaining anymore, we lost the game. There’s nothing to complain about,” said the former general in an interview with the newspaper “O Globo”.
He did not believe there was fraud in the election. Important allies of Bolsonaro, including the powerful speaker of Parliament Artur Lira, had previously acknowledged his defeat.
“I want to thank the 58 million Brazilians who voted for me on October 30,” Bolsonaro previously said in a brief statement at his residence in Brasília. “As President and as a citizen, I will continue to fulfill all the requirements of our Constitution.”
However, he does not want to stand in the way of the transfer of power to the election winner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “President Jair Bolsonaro has authorized us on the basis of the law to initiate the process of changing the government,” said Ciro Nogueira, head of cabinet. However, the transfer of power is regulated by law anyway, and approval by the outgoing government is not required.
Bolsonaro narrowly lost to his left-wing challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the runoff election for the presidency. Ex-President Lula received 50.9 percent of the vote, Bolsonaro got 49.1 percent. In his first public statement since the election, he neither conceded defeat nor congratulated Lula on the victory. Instead, he once again cast doubt on the electoral system and expressed sympathy for his supporters, who block highways across the country in protest at Lula’s election victory.
Industry association warns of supply bottlenecks
The highway police registered 167 roadblocks in different regions of Brazil on Wednesday, as reported by the television station Globo. According to their own statements, the police have already cleared 563 blockades. “The current demonstrations are the result of outrage and a sense of injustice at the way the electoral process was conducted,” Bolsonaro said. He had previously cast doubt on the electoral system himself. However, he never presented any evidence of this.
The trunk roads are essential for supplying the country, because the majority of goods in Brazil are transported by truck. The National Confederation of Industry (CNI) warned of supply bottlenecks and fuel shortages if the blockades lasted longer. According to the Association of Supermarkets, there are already delivery problems in some states, especially with fruit, vegetables and meat.
During protests in the south of the country, Bolsonaro supporters gave the Hitler salute. Hundreds of demonstrators raised their arms in a fascist salute and sang the national anthem in front of a barracks in the southern town of São Miguel do Oeste, TV station Globo reported on Wednesday.
The Santa Catarina State Attorney’s Office launched an investigation. Glorifying Nazi rule and using Nazi symbols is also a criminal offense in Brazil.
Even if Bolsonaro does not expressly admit his defeat, he apparently does not want to stand in the way of the change of government. “President Jair Bolsonaro has authorized us on the basis of the law to initiate the process of changing the government,” said Cabinet Chief Ciro Nogueira. However, the transfer of power is regulated by law anyway, and approval by the outgoing government is not required. Vice President Mourao said he was “almost certain” that Bolsonaro would attend Lula’s inauguration and hand over the presidential sash to his successor.
Judge: “He said it was over”
The judiciary of the largest country in Latin America took this as an admission of defeat. “The judges reiterate the official statement that stressed the importance of the President of the Republic’s recognition of the final election result with determination to start the transition process,” the Supreme Court said in a statement after meeting Bolsonaro. “He said it was over, so let’s look ahead,” judge Luiz Edson Fachin said on Globo.
The President of the Supreme Electoral Court, Alexandre de Moraes, had already informed both Lula and Bolsonaro about the result by telephone on election night. “The result was announced and accepted,” said Moraes. The Inter-American Union of Electoral Authorities observer mission called the elections free, fair and transparent and found no evidence of manipulation.
At the working level, channels have already been laid for the preparation of the change of power. According to media reports, head of cabinet Nogueira has already spoken to Lula’s head of communications Edinho Silva. In addition, Lula’s future Vice President Geraldo Alckmin phoned Bolsonaro’s deputy Hamilton Mourão. Lula is scheduled to take office on January 1, 2023.
Bolsonaro: “Peaceful demonstrations are always welcome”
In his two-minute speech, Bolsonaro again cast doubt on the legality of the vote and expressed understanding for his supporters, who have blocked numerous highways across the country in the past few days. “The current demonstrations are the result of outrage and a sense of injustice at the way the electoral process was conducted,” Bolsonaro said. “Peaceful demonstrations will always be welcome.”
In doing so, he was probably addressing his radical supporters, who spoke of manipulation immediately after Lula’s election victory and who probably would not have appreciated an admission of defeat. On the other hand, his advisers apparently made it clear to the head of state during lengthy talks over the past few days that it would hardly be successful to question the election result.
Many of his allies, including the powerful speaker of Parliament Artur Lira, have already acknowledged Bolsonaro’s defeat. Numerous governments abroad also saw the outcome of the election as a fact: almost 90 governments congratulated Lula on his election victory, as reported by the news portal UOL.
The President of the Supreme Electoral Court, Alexandre de Moraes, had already informed both Lula and Bolsonaro about the result by telephone on election night. “The result was announced and accepted,” said Moraes. The Inter-American Union of Electoral Authorities observer mission called the elections free, fair and transparent and found no evidence of manipulation.
