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SAO PAULO: US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that Brazil\u2019s elections were \u201crigged,\u201d as his ally Flavio Bolsonaro called for the annulment of the poll won by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.<\/p>\n
Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday, pulled off a dramatic comeback after losing to to Bolsonaro in a first-round vote, a defeat which fired up the left on the streets and social media to secure him a fourth term in office.<\/p>\n
Lula pulled around 4.4 million more votes than his rival.<\/p>\n
Right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, cried foul after polling was extended nationwide for two hours due to transport problems in some cities, at Lula\u2019s request.<\/p>\n
Flavio Bolsonaro also requested polling stations stay open in some regions due to heavy rains, but he still described the extension as \u201cunacceptable\u201d and a \u201cdirty trick.\u201d<\/p>\n
While congratulations rolled in for Lula from world leaders on both sides of the political divide, Trump, an ally of the Bolsonaro family, said the election \u201clooked terrible to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t take sides but it looked like another rigged election frankly…it looked so corrupt,\u201d he told reporters in Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like Lula, I get along with him very well. I just thought it was a very bad look, the way it was tabulated \u2014 with the extension.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a video posted to social media on Monday afternoon, Flavio Bolsonaro said police had ordered he surrender his passports, adding and \u201cI am now prohibited from leaving the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION<\/strong><\/p>\n He said the decision came from a Supreme Court justice, and was based on a comment by his US-based brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who told a US podcast two days before the election that \u201cif my brother does not win, I am in favor that he would leave the country\u201c<\/p>\n Eduardo cited investigations against his brother.<\/p>\n Brazilian police are probing Flavio Bolsonaro for corruption over the financing of the biopic \u201cDark Horse\u201d about his father.<\/p>\n \u201cI never had any intention of leaving the country. I will surrender my passports and defend myself against this travesty,\u201d Flavio Bolsonaro said.<\/p>\n While maintaining that he will seek annulment of the presidential election, the right-wing candidate also took \u201cleadership of the opposition\u201d in a separate statement.<\/p>\n Brazil\u2019s markets tumbled nearly 17 percent and the dollar surged against the real in response to the re-election of the leftist, as investors worried about fiscal discipline.<\/p>\n Flavio slammed Lula for \u201can unprecedented abuse of both political and economic power,\u201d over a flurry of social spending announcements during the campaign.<\/p>\n \u2018REBELLIOUS YOUTH\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n The left was triumphant after securing a historic turnaround in the vote, with tens of thousands pouring into the streets to celebrate Lula on Sunday night.<\/p>\n Julio Canelo, 42, a lawyer hailed a victory for \u201cthe entire democratic spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the result of the people mobilizing, in the streets and online,\u201d he told AFP.<\/p>\n Lula\u2019s re-energized campaign to the cry of \u201cNever Again Bolsonaro,\u201d urging people to go out and vote, saw the abstention rate fall from 21 percent to 19 percent in the runoff.<\/p>\n The proportion of spoiled and blank votes also decreased.<\/p>\n \u201cI owe this victory to the rebellious youth who rose up to defend democracy,\u201d Lula told jubilant supporters in Sao Paulo on Sunday night.<\/p>\n European nations, Russia, China, India, South Africa and others congratulated Lula.<\/p>\n Several right-wing governments in Latin America \u2014 who are close with Trump \u2014 accepted the victory, with Colombia\u2019s President Abelardo de la Espriella saying even though he had backed Bolsonaro: \u201cWhen the people speak at the ballot box, their will must be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n AN ECHO OF HIS FATHER\u2019S LOSS<\/strong><\/p>\n Flavio Bolsonaro\u2019s rejection of the results echoed his father\u2019s refusal to acknowledge losing to Lula in the 2022 elections.<\/p>\n Tension over that result led to hundreds of Jair Bolsonaro\u2019s supporters storming government buildings a week after Lula\u2019s inauguration to demand military intervention.<\/p>\n Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for an attempted coup after he was convicted for trying to stop Lula from taking office.<\/p>\n Electoral court chief Kassio Nunes Marques, a Bolsonaro appointee to the Supreme Court, hailed the \u201csuccessful polls\u201d and said there \u201cwere no changes\u201d resulting from the decision to extend voting, even if it did create difficulties.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n