After the second-round presidential election held in Brazil on Sunday, which resulted in the victory of the country’s left-wing ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, pro-Jair Bolsonaro truckers held demonstrations by blocking the roads in various parts of the country.
Protests have spread across the country, which began when a small number of Bolsonaro-supportive truckers blocked highways with their vehicles after Lula’s 1 percent win on Sunday, according to local media reports.
It was noted that long queues were formed on the roads due to the truckers closing the highways half or completely, especially intercity bus transportation was adversely affected.
It was stated that the demonstrations started by a small number of truckers on Sunday night, some of which demanded military intervention, had spread to 20 of the country’s 27 states, and by Monday evening, the number of roadblocks across the country had reached 300.
It was reported that the protests continued at more than 200 points, despite the fact that many roads were opened in the demonstrations, where the police intervened by persuasion so far.
It was announced that the bus companies serving between the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo canceled their flights due to the protests on the route, and ticket sales decreased by 80 percent.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPENING ROADS TO TRAFFIC
In a statement on his Twitter account, Brazilian Justice Minister Anderson Torres stated that the protests were closely followed by the security forces.
“I have instructed personnel reinforcement and support methods for all possible actions, if necessary, to normalize the flow on the roads,” Anderson said.
In his statement, Federal Supreme Court President Alexandre de Moraes called for the security forces to take “immediately all necessary and sufficient measures” at the discretion of the authorities to which they are attached.
BOLSONARO MAINTAINS SILENCE
Bolsonaro, who lost the elections held in Brazil on Sunday, still remained silent even after more than 24 hours after the election results were announced.
Brazilian Communications Minister Fabio Faria said that Bolsonaro, who frequently criticizes the election system in the country before the elections and signaled that he will not accept the election results from time to time, will make a statement on the election results on Tuesday.
In the second round presidential election held on Sunday in Brazil, the largest country in South America with a population of over 212 million, left-wing Lula da Silva, who ruled the country for two terms, received 50.9 percent and Bolsonaro 49.1 percent.
Bolsonaro, who lost the election, became the country’s first head of state not to be elected to a second term since democracy was restored in 1985.
