Bolsonaro speaks but does not concede, 45 hours late
Forty-five hours after Luis Inácio Lula da Silva was declared the winner of Brazil’s runoff presidential election on Sunday, October 30, 2022, Bolsonaro finally appeared to make a statement. His oratory reticence is uncharacteristic, being known as he is as a firebrand whose verbal outpouring lacks a filter. Leftist former president Lula was quickly recognized as president-elect by legislators and even newly elected Bolsonarist governors.
On October 30th, the day of the election which was called in Lula’s favor around eight PM, there was no statement from Bolsonaro or his administration. October 31st, Monday, the entire day passed with still no word. The afternoon of Tuesday, November 1st his staff indicated the president would make a statement shortly. Hours passed before Bolsonaro appeared at a podium in the presidential palace.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s supporters had blocked highways throughout the country with semi-tractor trailers and burning tires to prevent any transit. This had the intended effect of paralyzing the country, because all freight moves by truck in Brazil; there are no freight railways. The resulting snarl cancelled bus travel, leaving people stranded with no options. Flights were cancelled because flight crews couldn’t get to the airport, most notably at Guarulhos, São Paulo’s international airport and one of the busiest in Latin America. People stuck in traffic jams en route to Guarulhos airport abandoned taxis and threaded their way through the stalled vehicles, dragging their luggage behind them.
Images circulated on social media of local and federal highway police celebrating alongside the trucker protesters, letting them know they wouldn’t interfere with their blockades. In one posting, a uniformed officer in the southern state of Santa Catarina tells the crowd that they need to paralyze the country for 72 hours so that the president can “get an attitude.” The head of the federal highway police, a vocal Bolsonaro supporter, was nowhere to be seen, but a spokesperson gave a statement that the situation was complicated, and they were working on it. The federal tribunal court ordered the blockaders to cease and desist or face fines of up to $17,000 per minute.
So, what did President Bolsonaro have to say after this long delay? Not a concession. I watched live on television and when he finished I shrieked, “What???” I have to tip my hat to whoever wrote the verbiage, because it was an elegant and classic punt, supremely ambiguous while delivering digs at Bolsonaro’s enemies in a statesmanlike fashion. Bolsonaro did not mention Lula’s name and did not speak of the election results or whether he would recognize them.
Bolsonaro began by thanking the 58 million Brazilians who voted for him and observed that the protests (he used the phrase “current popular movements,” but his meaning was clear) were a result of indignation and people feeling the electoral process was unjust. He then said that peaceful demonstrations will always be welcome, but that the destructive tactics of the left should be avoided: invasions, destruction of property and restriction of “the right to come and go.”
Bolsonaro lauded the accomplishments of his administration, saying they reflected their values of God, country, family and liberty. He also asserted they “overcame a pandemic,” which is ironic given that his touting of quack drugs and discounting Covid-19 as a little flu was responsible at least in part for the deaths of 668,000 Brazilians.
He lamented that he was always labeled as antidemocratic, but that unlike his accusers he always stayed within the limits of the Constitution. He said that while he is president and a citizen (not because he is or given that he is—a subtle implication like although), he will fulfill all the commandments of the Constitution.
He closed by saying it was an honor to represent the millions of Brazilians who, like him, defend economic freedom, religious freedom, freedom of opinion, honesty, and the green and yellow colors of the flag (his supporters famously and literally wrap themselves in the flag). The entire statement lasted 2.5 minutes.
There was such a hubbub among journalists and other observers that the next person to step up to the podium had initial difficulty garnering the attention of those assembled. It was chief of staff Ciro Nogueira, who said he had been authorized by the president to say that based on the law, they would initiate the process of transition. He was the first to speak the president-elect’s name, in the following fashion and looking visibly discomfited: “the president of the PT (worker’s party), name Lula, has indicated that Thursday the transition leader, (Vice President-elect) Alckmin would be formalized. “We will await that being formalized, and then will fulfill the laws of our country.” This statement lasted 38 seconds.
As of this writing, blockades and protests continue, though police have “unblocked” some highways. No further word from Bolsonaro’s administration, certainly no direct instruction to protesters to unblock the highways and go home. The impact of the blockades are already being felt, with dire warnings of a lack of oxygen in hospitals, patients with kidney failure unable to get to their scheduled dialysis, and shortages of goods and materials beginning to be seen in every area. Supermarkets are warning that resupply is an issue, with current reporting that 70% of grocery stores are affected. Economists estimate that the national losses will be greater than those of the trucker’s strike of 2018.
As I post this, there are recurring images on television of police “shock troops” attempting to gain control of Castello Branco, a major highway in São Paulo. Lists of affected sectors nationally include pork producers, supermarkets, chemical and automotive manufacturing, among others. The chyron on CNN reads “PL condemns antidemocratic acts.” PL is Bolsonaro’s party and a major faction in the legislature with recent wins in gubernatorial elections. Apparently they spoke on background. But as of this writing, not another word, and certainly not a specific message from President Bolsonaro asking the protesters to go home and stop paralyzing the country.
Image by Gustavo Leighton on Unsplash