Brazil election: Bolsonaro thanks supporters, signals acceptance of loss to Lula

TL;DR

By Ricardo Brito Rio de Janeiro: Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro did not concede defeat in his first public remarks since losing Sunday’s election, saying protests by his supporters were the fruit of “indignation and a sense of injustice” over the vote.His chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, speaking after Bolsonaro’s brief public address, said Bolsonaro had authorised him to begin the transition process with representatives of leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.In Sao Paulo – Brazil’s most populous state and largest economy – traffic jams around the international airport led to dozens of flight cancellations, with videos on social media showing travellers rolling their suitcases along the highway in the dark trying to catch their flights.“We want Bolsonaro in 2023 and for the years to come.” In Itaborai, a region in Rio de Janeiro state, an Associated Press reporter saw truck drivers kneeling in front of police officers and refusing to evacuate.Lula’s Workers’ Party had accused Bolsonaro’s campaign of deploying law enforcement to create traffic jams and deter people from voting on Election Day, and video footage shared on social media showed officials stopping buses."

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