Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro asked his supporters to keep their heads straight and stop blocking highways in a video released late Wednesday, his second since losing the election to Ignacio Lula da Silva on Sunday. Is.
Within two hours, a national movement calling for military intervention to keep him in office seemed to be dying out. Organized demonstrations by millions of his supporters, organized as a petition for a military coup, rode on the back of a lack of public acceptance of the election results. Alternatively, he called for a federal takeover and re-run elections.
However, it was Bolsonaro’s behavior more than his words that set sail for the budding rebellion fueled by his silence about his defeat in the elections. Three days after his supporters took to the streets and blocked the country’s roads, Bolsonaro said it was “not cool”.
In a bunker-like video, Bolsonaro’s demeanor sent a powerful message — that he was a man who knew that he had been beaten.
He even made an early apology for the uncharacteristic manner of the Trump cookie-cutter model he has modeled himself after.
“Please don’t feel bad about me,” he told his supporters. “I wish the best for you, this time in front of the presidency, I cooperate to revive the spirit of patriotism, love for the country, for our green and yellow colors, to protect family and freedom. Let us make it Don’t throw away. We must do what has to be done.”
The Statesman’s statement surprised some of his supporters as many had expected a Trump-like call to fight back fiercely. To the extent that there was any such call, he directed the manifestations in public squares, which he said were part of the democratic process. “Feel free to continue and let me make this clear: You are appearing unintentional.”
Amidst the well-organised protests, there was a scramble to make sense of his new position, with an online right-wing forum promoting a poster qualifying Bolsonaro as a true politician who is “a patriot who does his best”. Loves and respects the country.” The countrymen do more in their country than Trump. Comments on the post validated this with comments agreeing that this is what a true patriot does.
However, the fight in the crowd seemed to be going in different directions. Other factions called for marches on military installations to continue, with speakers saying they still wanted a military takeover, Lula arrested, and elections run again, “with or without Bolsonaro.” We will do our work and if he wants he can be our President.
Another group of protesters appeared to follow instructions from a man who stood up and told them to go home. We fought for democracy, he told the crowd, thumping his chest. “Now we are doing more damage to democracy. We have lost. let’s go home.
Early indications were that many did just that. The number of roadblocks was decreasing by the hour.
“From the beginning till today I have involved my family; Yesterday I stayed with my family here at our shop doing everything we could to increase performance. We kept taking turns till about 11 am in the cold rain,” a dismayed protester said in a morning post after the video was released. “The President seems to have thrown in the towel.”
In the video, Bolsonaro told his supporters that he understands them, but it is time to think sensibly “I know you are upset, you are sad; You expected something else. I am as upset and sad as you are,” Bolsonaro told his supporters in the video. “But we have to keep our heads straight. Protests and demonstrations are very welcome; they are part of the democratic game.
“Now, there’s something that’s not good. The closure of highways in Brazil hurts people’s right of movement. It’s in our constitution and we’ve always stayed within those four lines; In addition to the harm, the rights of other people who are moving have to be respected.
Concluding his statement, Bolsonaro again requested that they clear the streets, “Let us clear them for the good of our nation and so that you may keep fighting for democracy and freedom.”
However, the immediate effect of the statement may have been that it effectively ended the opposition to the movement plunging Brazil into chaos. Only the coming hours will tell this.
