Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right president of Brazil, has ended his quiet following his loss in the presidential election on Sunday.
Bolsonaro thanked the voters who supported him but did not concede defeat, nor did he challenge the outcome, as some had anticipated he would. In the statement addressed to his supporters, Bolsonaro added that "our dreams continue as alive as ever."
After Bolsonaro's brief speech, his chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, spoke and declared that the "process of transition" of power would start.
Although Bolsonaro did not expressly concede loss, the Supreme Court of Brazil said in a statement issued immediately after his address that he had acknowledged the outcome of the election by approving the transition of power.
Bolsonaro's ardent supporters, who refuse to accept his defeat, have created hundreds of roadblocks in all but two Brazilian states.
Bolsonaro referred to them as "current popular movements" in his speech, calling them "the fruit of indignation and a sense of injustice of how the electoral process unfolded"
Bolsonaro made no mention of his archrival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who narrowly defeated him on Sunday. Bolsonaro has yet to call the man who defeated him in the race, breaking with convention.
Meanwhile, congratulations poured in for Lula from all around the world, with U.S. President Joe Biden declaring the victory came "following free, fair and credible elections."
The Brazilian Supreme Court's chief, Alexandre de Moraes, had earlier on Tuesday declared the barriers to be "a risk to national security" and ordered their removal. More than 250 of them are still there despite police efforts to remove all of them.
The obstructions have a significant impact on the supply networks for food.
They got going soon after Lula's narrow victory in the presidential run-off was declared by Brazil's electoral officials. After all the votes had been tallied, Lula had received 50.9% of the valid votes to Mr. Bolsonaro's 49.1%.
Bolsonaro, who is generally active on social media, remained mute and out of the public glare. But when even his closest allies celebrated Lula, he began to appear increasingly alone.
The powerful speaker of the lower house of Congress, Arthur Lira, issued a strong message when he remarked that "the will of the majority, as it is expressed in the polls, can never be contested."
Some Bolsonaro supporters, though, appeared empowered by his silence.
"We will not accept losing what we have gained, we want what is written on our flag, 'order and progress'," a protestor told AFP. "We will not accept the situation as it is."
