Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro made his first public remark on Tuesday where he did not concede his defeat after losing the Sunday polls and said that the protests by his supporters were the fruit of “indignation and a sense of injustice” over the vote, reported news agency Reuters. Bolsonaro, however, did not contest the election result and authorised his chief of staff Ciro Nogueira, to begin the transition process with representatives of leftist President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Lula da Silva on Sunday, became the new president of Brazil after defeating incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro in fierce voting which was a tight race between the two politicians.
Lula da Silva, popularly known as "Lula" gained 50.83 percent of the votes, with over 98 percent of the votes counted in a fiercely contested run-off election on Sunday whereas his opponent Bolsonaro managed to get 49.17 percent votes.
Bolsonaro appeared before the public 44 hours after election results which raised fears that he might cast doubt on the narrow result.
Amid his silence, supporters blocked highways to protest his defeat, with some calling for a military coup to stop former president Lula from returning to power.
The highway blockades have disrupted fuel distribution, supermarket supplies, and the flow of grains exports to major ports, according to industry groups, reported the news agency.
Lula, 76, focused his campaign on getting Bolsonaro out of the office and highlighted his past achievements throughout his campaign. His campaign promised a new tax regime that will allow for higher public spending. He vowed to end hunger in the country, which had returned during the Bolsonaro government.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro, 67, ran for re-election under the conservative Liberal Party. He has campaigned to increase mining, privatise public companies, and generate more sustainable energy to bring down energy prices. He has vowed to continue paying a Brazilian real 600 (about USD 110) monthly benefit known as Auxilio Brasil.