Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has broken the silence he had maintained since being defeated in Sunday’s presidential election.
He thanked voters who had cast their ballots for him but did not acknowledge defeat.
But he did not contest the result either, as some had feared he would.
His chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, spoke after Mr Bolsonaro’s brief statement saying that the “process of transition” of power would begin.
Even though Mr Bolsonaro did not himself acknowledge defeat in his own words, Brazil’s Supreme Court released a statement shortly after his speech saying that by authorising the transition of power, he had recognised the result of the election.
Combative statements from the president in the past – such as that “only God” could remove him from office – meant that there had been a tense wait for him to appear in public.
Before the election, he had also repeatedly cast unfounded doubts on the voting system.
When he finally appeared in public, 44 hours after the election result was announced, Mr Bolsonaro’s statement lasted only two minutes and he did not take any questions from the assembled reporters.
In the message aimed at his supporters, Mr Bolsonaro said that “our dreams continue as alive as ever”.
He repeated the values he says he and his party stand for – “God, fatherland, family and freedom” – and insisted that he would continue to strive for “order and progress”, the words emblazoned on Brazil’s flag.
He did not mention Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his arch rival who narrowly beat him on Sunday, at all. In a break with tradition, Mr Bolsonaro has still not called the man who defeated him in the election.
Hardcore supporters of Mr Bolsonaro – who refuse to accept that he lost – have erected hundreds of roadblocks in all but two states of Brazil. (BBC)