While some of the supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the election in Brazil on Sunday, protested the results on Monday, and truck drivers blocked roads across the country in anger, Bolsonaro kept quiet during the day on Monday.
The far-right president has not yet responded to the election and also failed to congratulate his arch-rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won the presidency by a margin of less than 2 percent, on Monday. It gives the impression that Bolsonaro does not accept his defeat and may challenge it. In the run-up to this extremely tense and polarized election, Bolsonaro has repeatedly stated that losing is not an option for him. “After the election, there are only three scenarios for me: either I end up in jail, or I die, or there is victory,” Bolsonaro said in an earlier statement.
Sunday evening local time, when the result was officially confirmed by the president of the Electoral Council Alexandre de Moraes, both Bolsonaro and Lula were called by him with the news of the result. “Bolsonaro then reacted calmly and politely,” said De Moraes in the Brazilian media. De Moraes was for years the target of Bolsonaro and his supporters in verbal attacks against Brazil’s democratic institutions.
Isolated
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s key political allies have responded to his defeat. For example, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Bolsonaro’s ally Arthur Lira said that “the will of the majority, as these results indicate, should never be doubted”.
And Damares Alves, former minister under Bolsonaro also responded. She said: “We have lost an election but we have not lost our love for this country. Bolsonaro will leave his post in January with his head held high.” Even Sergio Moro – the former justice minister under Bolsonaro and the judge who convicted Lula for corruption in 2018 – said on Twitter that this is the way “how democracy works”.
Earlier, Bolsonaro also sowed doubts about the fairness of the polls, because, according to him, the electronic electoral system, which Brazil has been using for years, would easily be fraudulent. An accusation for which he provided no evidence. Brazilian media suggested on Monday that ministers around Bolsonaro would exert strong pressure on him to come out with a statement about the result. This appears to be further isolating Bolsonaro from his government by ignoring the outcome. The longer there is no reaction, the more the tension increases. But perhaps that is exactly Bolsonaro’s tactic and he wants to sow unrest by waiting as long as possible with a statement. He may also want to wait and see what his dissatisfied supporters will do; a strong reaction from the population can strengthen his position as an unwilling loser.
Bolsonaro’s key allies have accepted the loss
Normally, Bolsonaro communicates quickly and effectively with his supporters via his Facebook Live and social media channels, but there too it has been quiet since election day. Supporters of Bolsonaro called for resistance through groups on platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp. “We advocate military intervention. This result is wrong, the elections have been stolen!” wrote a follower on Telegram under the pseudonym ‘patriota’ (patriot) in a group where NRC reads. ‘Patriota’ received much acclaim. But there are also participants in the groups who call for the loss to be accepted and for a better Brazil, “even though the enemy is back in power,” Gabriella Figueira writes in the app group.
The unrest on the highways, where truck drivers blocked roads in at least 11 states on Sunday evening, also continued on Monday. Truck drivers in Brazil are a powerful group that – if they want to – can bring the country to a standstill. Food supplies from shops in the cities are delivered by road in Brazil.
Divided population
Meanwhile, after Sunday night’s party, Lula has turned to the future and had a packed Monday meeting schedule to form his new government. Congratulations poured in from around the world from President Biden, to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and several European leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
One of the issues that Lula wants to bring to the fore is the environment and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Under Bolsonaro, deforestation increased and illegal activity grew in the world’s largest tropical rainforest. Although the comeback of leftist leader Lula, who previously ruled Brazil between 2002 and 2010, is a historic one, it is not an easy era for him.
Also read: A new era begins for Brazil with the election of Lula
Lula can expect strong opposition in Congress where the right has grown strong. Although Lula is an experienced politician who is good at forming alliances, the Bolsonaro camp is expected to make it difficult for him to rule. Also, the major corruption scandal Operation Lava Jato may continue to haunt him. Lula was convicted but eventually all charges were overturned by the Supreme Court, allowing Lula to run for re-election. Lula hopes to unite the divided Brazilian population, he said after his victory. It remains to be seen whether Bolsonaro will give him the opportunity to do so.