Bolsonaro breaks silence on Brazil election loss

Jair Bolsonaro will remain in office until 1 January.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves after making a statement for the first time since Sunday’s presidential run-off election, at Alvorada Palace in Brasilia. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro broke his uncharacteristic silence about his electoral defeat on Friday, saying it “hurts my soul.”

Bolsonaro had not spoken publicly since his narrow loss to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in bitterly-fought runoff elections on 30 October, and he has only made one public appearance.

“I’ve been silent for practically 40 days. It hurts, it hurts my soul. I have always been a happy person among you, even risking my life among the people,” he said.

Following his defeat, thousands of his supporters blocked roads and demonstrated in front of military barracks to ask the army to prevent Lula from taking power.

Brazil’s top electoral authority last month threw out a challenge by Bolsonaro’s party against his election defeat and fined it more than $4 million for bringing the case “in bad faith.”