Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered police to remove scores of roadblocks set up by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro to protest his defeat in the presidential election, while the far-right leader remained silent on the result.
The Federal Highway Police (PRF) said truckers were blocking highways at 271 points, partially or fully, as part of protests that have spread to 23 of Brazil’s 26 states in the wake of Bolsonaro’s loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a run-off election on Sunday. The police said another 192 roadblocks had been cleared.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes called on the PRF to remove all the blockades, which have been mainly organized by truckers, a core constituency of the Bolsonaro government that has benefitted from its lowering of diesel costs.
Some truckers posted videos calling for a military coup to stop the man familiarly known as Lula, a leftist who served as Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010, from taking office.
Bolsonaro remained silent more than 36 hours after his defeat and has neither conceded the race nor called the president-elect.
Truckers in Brazil are blocking roads or highways in many states to show support for Jair Bolsonaro, who lost Sunday’s presidential election run-off to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has not conceded the election.
Moraes was quickly joined by six other justices in a virtual session in the early hours of Tuesday as they formed a majority in the 11-member court to back his decision, setting fines on the PRF’s director-general Silvinei Vasques if he failed to act to clear the roadblocks.
The highways that have been blocked 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. The main access road to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport, the busiest in the country, was also blocked.
Transition talks begin between officials
The protests that spread from the first roadblocks in farm states did not immediately disrupt grain shipments by the top food-producing country, but agricultural lobbies warned they could eventually affect exports.
Although Bolsonaro has remained silent on his election loss, his political allies and associates have already begun to establish contact with the Lula camp to discuss a transition. Some have publicly declared that the Bolsonaro government should respect the election result.
Communications Minister Fabio Faria told Reuters that Bolsonaro was expected to speak on his defeat by Tuesday, though it was not clear whether the incumbent would accept Lula’s victory.
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.
Environmentalists and sustainable investors cheered Lula’s victory and his commitment to protecting the rainforest and restoring Brazil’s leadership on climate change.
World leaders congratulate Lula
Even before he is due to take office on Jan. 1, President-elect Lula will send representatives to next month’s COP27 United Nations climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, allied environmentalist Marina Silva said on Monday.
“The people of Brazil have spoken. I’m looking forward to working with @LulaOficial to strengthen the partnership between our countries, to deliver results for Canadians and Brazilians, and to advance shared priorities — like protecting the environment,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said after the results became official.
The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) declared Lula won 50.9 per cent of votes, against 49.1 per cent for Bolsonaro, who becomes the first Brazilian incumbent to lose a presidential election.
“I will govern for 215 million Brazilians, and not just for those who voted for me,” Lula said at his campaign headquarters. “We are one country, one people, one great nation.”
Scenes from Sunday’s election:
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez flew to Sao Paulo to meet Lula on Monday and hailed “a new era for the history of Latin America. A time of hope and future that begins today.”
U.S. President Joe Biden moved quickly to congratulate Lula, calling the election “free, fair and credible.”
Congratulations also poured in from other foreign leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
But Bolsonaro’s prolonged silence sparked fears over the handover of power, which doesn’t officially occur until January.
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