He broke a deafening silence.
More than 36 hours after his defeat against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro finally spoke on Tuesday.
Despite the fears of the Lula camp, the former head of state admitted his defeat at the very least, by taking up the number of votes he actually obtained.
After thanking the voters who voted for him, Jair Bolsonaro welcomed the emergence of the right “in this country for the truth”.
The outgoing president then defended his record, believing he had always coped and never deviated from the rules and respect for the constitution.
"It's an honor to be the leader of millions of Brazilians," he continued.
Already anticipating difficulties, Lula had wished on Sunday that “the (outgoing) government be civilized” and understand that “it is necessary to make a good transfer of power”.
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In the streets, his supporters had not waited for him to make their anger heard, by revving their engines.
Huge queues of vehicles have formed since Sunday, at the initiative of many truck drivers and pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators.
Veja a gravidade do silêncio do irresponsável.
Isso é agora, no aeroporto de Guarulhos.
Passageiros perdendo voos.
E os patriotas, parando o país.
#JornalNacional pic.twitter.com/MMN6iDqqDZ
— Fred Moura (@soufredmoura) November 1, 2022
The Federal Traffic Police (PRF) still reported 250 roadblocks, total or partial, in at least 23 of Brazil's 27 states as of Tuesday morning.
It is in the south of the country, as in the state of Santa Carina where Jair Bolsonaro won almost 70% of the votes, that the most blockages are recorded.
Could this automobile tide overwhelm the capital after the far-right leader spoke?
Fearing an escalation, the police have since Monday evening restricted vehicle access to the Three Powers Square, where the Presidential Palace, the Parliament and the Supreme Court are located, close to the huge esplanade of the ministries, a gathering place.
A Supreme Court judge ordered the “immediate unblocking of roads and public thoroughfares,” the institution said in a statement Monday evening and the first operations.
The tight ballot
After losing narrowly to Lula on Sunday (50.9%-49.1%), the incumbent head of state – until the handover on January 1 – isolated himself in his residence official from Alvorada to Brasilia.
He went Monday morning to the Planalto Palace, the seat of the presidency, then returned in the afternoon to his residence, without making the slightest statement.
Why such silence?
“Lula's victory is an unbearable humiliation,” replies Armelle Enders, professor of contemporary Brazilian history at the University of Paris-VIII and researcher attached to the French Institute of Geopolitics.
“To this is added the fact that he is afraid of going to prison.
At the time of the parliamentary committee on the management of Covid, there are accusations against him that have been made.
There are a lot of pending cases.
We don't really know what he's going to do, it paralyzes his action a little.
If he started inciting his supporters not to recognize his elections, that would put him in trouble.
Above all, he will try to negotiate his exit in the coming months.
Lula's victory was greeted around the world by an avalanche of messages from foreign leaders, from Washington, London, Paris, Beijing, Moscow, New Delhi, Buenos Aires to the European Commission, many of whom expressed their impatience to renew relations. solid and productive relations with Brasilia, after four years of diplomatic isolation under Jair Bolsonaro.