First change: 07.11.2022 – 03:19
Brazil is celebrating a week since the presidential election amid mobilizations in support of current President Jair Bolsonaro and leftist Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva. The divisions have continued since the Labor Party candidate defeated the extreme right with 50.9% of the vote.
Two contrasting scenarios were witnessed on the streets of Brazil this Sunday. Demonstrations in support of current President Jair Bolsonaro have taken place in various cities across the country, calling for military intervention to prevent President-elect Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva from taking power.
In parallel, the left received the support of thousands of people who celebrated his arrival at the Planalto Palace in Rio de Janeiro early next year.
The protests show a divided Brazil after last Sunday’s election that gave the ex-union candidate victory with 50.9% of the vote, compared to 49.1% for the far-right. A small difference that warmed the mood of Bolsonaro’s supporters, who began demonstrating shortly after the results were announced.
The Bolsonarist protests continue with less intensity
Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia have been the scene of protests in support of the current president. There, the protesters waved Brazilian flags and carried signs with messages such as “SOS Brazil” and “Military Intervention”.
Some requests that have shaped the reaction of certain Bolsonarists in the week after the election. Outside military barracks in different parts of the country, protesters have called for action by the country’s army to reverse what they see as fraudulent results.
“I am here today because I want Brazil’s freedom. We don’t accept communism,” Catia Almeida, one of the protesters, told Portal.
For his part, Bolsonaro took more than a day to decide the results. And while he authorized the transfer of power, he did not explicitly admit defeat to the left.
Roadblocks are fading in Brazil
In addition to the mobilizations in front of the military barracks, there were various roadblocks in Brazil this week by truckers and other supporters of the president. However, these have declined over time.
The latest Federal Highway Police report spoke of just five roadblocks in two of the country’s 27 states. The agency assured that these did not cause total disruption to Brazilian roads.
Some announcements came after a week in which alarms went off over possible fuel shortages in some parts of the country.
The President also ruled on this type of protest on Wednesday, calling for freedom of movement. However, he assured that the other demonstrations were legitimate.
The “Lulista” euphoria grips Copacabana
The outrage and uneasiness of the Bolsonarian demonstrations contrasted with “CarnaLula,” a celebration of the left’s victory in Rio de Janeiro.
With music, songs and dances, the former trade unionist’s supporters assured that their concentration aims to “exorcise” the country of Bolsonaroism and the far right.
“Today is the day to exorcise Jair Bolsonaro, exorcise the right, end prejudice, end xenophobia and homophobia. Enough is enough. Brazil doesn’t deserve it,” said Arnaldo Araujo, an AFP assistant, of the mobilization.
Despite the tense panorama and divided positions, on Friday representatives of the PT visited the facilities where the liaison between the two governments will take place.
When “Lula” attains the presidency and begins to serve on January 1, 2023, it will mark another milestone in Brazilian political history as he becomes the first president to serve three terms.
With AFP, AP and Portal