Bolsonaro Supporters Block Roads in 18 Brazilian States - Reports

MEXICO CITY, (Sputnik) - More than 100 protests organized by truck drivers supporting Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the Sunday presidential election, have been taking place in 18 Brazilian states on Monday, Brazilian media reported.

According to official results from Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE), released after 100% of the ballots were processed earlier in the day, Bolsonaro lost in the Sunday runoff with 49.1% of the votes, while Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva got 50.9% of the votes, securing the victory.

News portal G1 reported that more than 100 protests have been organized on the roads in the states of Bahia, Espirito Santo, Goias, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Parana, Rio de Janeiro, Rondonia, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Tocantins, Amazonas, Acre, Roraima and Maranhao.

The highways where the demonstrations are being held have been blocked completely, exceptions have been made for some cars and emergency vehicles, the report said, adding that the police were taking measures to normalize the traffic.

Brazil held a general election on October 2. Lula received 48.4%, while Bolsonaro got 43.2% of the votes. Since none of the candidates managed to get over 50% in the first round, a runoff was scheduled for October 30.

Winning the Sunday vote, Lula, 76, will now become the leader of Brazil for the period of 2023-2027. This will be his third term. Lula headed Brazil for two consecutive terms between 2003 and 2010 but a series of corruption allegations resulted in his imprisonment. He began serving his 12-year sentence in 2018, but Brazil's Supreme Court later annulled the case and Lula was released from prison in 2019.