BRASILIA (RockedBuzz via Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro broke his silence on Friday for the first time since his Oct. 30 election defeat and spoke to supporters calling for a military coup to stop leftist-elect Luiz Inacio Lula from taking office daSilva.
Bolsonaro said he had been silent for almost 40 days, adding: “my soul hurts”.
“You decide where I go. You decide where the armed forces go,” Bolsonaro told his supporters at the gates of the presidential residence.
In his ambiguous comments, Bolsonaro did not support their call for military intervention, but said the armed forces would respect Brazil’s constitution.
He did not acknowledge Lula’s victory in the October elections and his silence encouraged supporters to continue demonstrations outside military bases.
Lula’s narrow victory over Bolsonaro will be certified by Brazil’s national electoral authority on Monday.
Bolsonaro told his supporters that the military was Brazil’s bulwark to prevent socialism in the country, adding that “nothing is lost” and that their cause would one day prevail.
“The armed forces are united. They owe loyalty to our people and respect the constitution, and are responsible for our freedom,” he said.
“Unlike other people, we will win,” he said.
(Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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