A day after Brazilians defeated him in a closely contested presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro has yet to acknowledge or accept that loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The refusal to formally accept the results is not a surprise. For the past two years, Bolsonaro has been spreading conspiracy theories about electoral fraud in an attempt to undermine the election. He repeatedly said that the only result to be recognized would be his victory.
Da Silva will return to the presidency he previously held from 2003 to 2010. Hours after the election ended, he told supporters who had gathered for celebrations in Sao Paulo that he had yet to receive a phone call from Bolsonaro.
“I am half happy and half worried because starting tomorrow I have to start worrying about how we are going to govern this country,” da Silva said. “I need to know if the president that we have defeated will allow a transition to take place.”
in forums online some Bolsonaro supporters have asked him to challenge the results. Brazilian truckers, who have widely aligned themselves with the far-right, staged roadblocks on major highways Monday morning. Some said they would only give in if the military intervened on Bolsonaro’s behalf.
Lula da Silva elected president of Brazil with 50.83% of the votes
Bolsonaro may still be looking to cast doubt on the outcome, though even his supporters don’t know what to expect when he finally does speak.
It has always been unlikely, experts say, that an effort to undermine elections will succeed in keeping Bolsonaro in power. But he may be in an even weaker position now due to the rapid recognition of the electoral results by the international community and the leaders of the main Brazilian institutions.
US President Joe Biden issued a statement congratulating da Silva and praising the “free, fair and credible” election less than an hour after electoral authorities confirmed his victory.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and other leaders issued similar statements.
Arthur Lira, head of the lower house of Brazil’s Congress and a Bolsonaro ally, issued a statement Sunday night saying the results of a democratic election “should never be questioned.”
For her part, Damares Alves, a former member of Bolsonaro’s cabinet who won a seat in Congress earlier this month, issued a statement admitting defeat. “We lost an election, but we haven’t lost love for our country,” she said. “Bolsonaro will leave the presidency in January with his head held high and with the certainty of having fulfilled his duty and of being loved by millions of Brazilians.”
