Jair Bolsonaro remained silent until Tuesday afternoon, since his victory over the leftist icon Lula’s wire (49.1% vs. 50.9%) was announced on Sunday evening.
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LBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro “recognized change” after Lula’s election on Tuesday and pledged to “respect the constitution,” though without openly admitting his defeat, in his first statement two days after the presidential election.
“As long as I am the head of the republic, I will respect the constitution,” declared the head of state in a military tone. He spoke during a few-minute speech at Alvorada’s presidential palace in Brasilia, when he stopped short of congratulating Lula on his victory. “By law, the president authorized me to start the transition process,” said Ciro Nogueira, his chief of staff, with President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s team.
Jair Bolsonaro, 67, has condemned roadblocks his supporters have set up since Sunday to protest his victory. “Peaceful protests are always welcome, but we cannot use Leftist tactics (…) to block freedom of movement,” he added.
However, he said the protests were a “result of anger and injustice” over the electoral process.
Jair Bolsonaro, the first Brazilian president to lose a re-election bid, was defeated on Sunday by the icon of the left Lula (50.9% vs. 49.1%).
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