In his first tweet since losing Sunday’s Brazilian presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro pleaded with his supporters to end their road blockades that were swiftly installed in at least 20 of 26 states in protest of what they say is election fraud.
The far-right president’s video message on Wednesday came as multiple people, including two police officers, were injured after a car drove into one of the blockades. A 28-year-old man has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Bolsonaro’s supporters have taken to the streets since his loss to former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was announced Sunday night, but by Wednesday, a day after Bolsonaro addressed the nation to say he would respect the constitution without acknowledging the election outcome, he told supporters: “I know you’re upset and sad, that you hoped for a different outcome. I did too, I’m also sad and upset just like you.”
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However, despite spending months ahead of the election attacking the voting system, Bolsonaro pleaded that “we have to get our heads on straight.” While welcoming protests and demonstrations as “part of the democratic process,” Bolsonaro conceded that “there’s something not OK this time,” claiming that blocking highways around Brazil is “infringing on the rights of people laid out in our constitution.”
“We always have to... respect the rights of other people who are trying to get from one place to another, aside from hurting our economy… I know our economy is very important, maybe you’re giving more importance to other things right now, it’s legitimate, but I want to make an appeal to you. Please clear the roads,” Bolsonaro said. “This is not part of a legitimate protest. We’re going to lose our own legitimacy with this.”
The former president said he supported protests in city squares across the country but urged his supporters to clear the roads. “Everyone is losing with these blocked roads…. please don’t think badly of me. I just want the best for you, for all this time as your president, we’ve been working to bring back patriotism, to defend the family, defend freedom, we’re not going to throw this away. We’ll work together. I’m with you and I know you’re with me. I’m just asking you to clear the roads.”
By Wednesday it appeared the truckers were slowly disbanding, with 156 road blockades instead of the previous day’s 267, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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