BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) 鈥� In Brazil鈥檚 capital on Monday, the silence was deafening.
Nearly a full day after President Jair Bolsonaro , the usually brash right-wing leader had neither conceded defeat nor challenged the results of the country's closest political contest in more than three decades.
Bolsonaro hadn't spoken a word to reporters camped outside the official residence or the supporters who regularly gather nearby. Nor did he post on his otherwise prolific social media platforms.
The only sign of protest came from Bolsonaro-supporting truckers who on Sunday started blocking roads across the country. By Monday night, the Federal Highway Police reported 236 incidents in 18 states, up from 136 three hours prior to that.
Bolsonaro's rival, former president and left-leaning Sunday night with 50.9% of the votes, to Bolsonaro鈥檚 49.1%. It was the closest election since Brazil鈥檚 return to democracy in 1985.
Ricardo Barros, Bolsonaro's whip in the Lower House, told The Associated Press by phone that he was with the president Monday and that Bolsonaro was 鈥渟till deciding鈥� whether to speak about the election鈥檚 results.
Much like former U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Bolsonaro admires, the outgoing Brazilian leader . At one point he said he possessed proof of fraud, though he provided no evidence. And as recently as last month, he remarked that if he didn鈥檛 win in the election鈥檚 first round, something was 鈥渁bnormal" 鈥� even as most polls showed him trailing.
As time passes and an increasing number of international leaders publicly recognize da Silva鈥檚 victory, the president鈥檚 room for dispute is dwindling, experts told The Associated Press.
Some of Bolsonaro's closest allies indicated the same.
鈥淭he will of the majority seen on ballots shall never be contested,鈥� Lower House Speaker Arthur Lira told reporters Sunday.
Other Bolsonaro supporters who publicly acknowledged da Silva's win include Sao Paulo governor-elect Tarc铆sio de Freitas and Senator-elect Damares Alves, both of whom served as ministers under Bolsonaro, and Lower House whip Barros. Evangelical pastor Silas Malafaia, who has been a strident Bolsonaro supporter, called for God to bestow his 鈥渂lessing鈥� on da Silva.
鈥淗e must have several plans for how to contest the results of the polls; the question is whether he has the political support to go ahead with these plans,鈥� said Paulo Calmon, a political science professor at the University of Brasilia. 鈥淗e won鈥檛 have the support of Sao Paulo鈥檚 governor, of the Lower House, Senate, and he will have to face opposition from everyone.鈥�
Calmon added that Bolsonaro had recently said during an interview last month that he would accept the result even if he lost, but that congratulating da Silva would hurt his popularity among his most radical base.
Abroad, U.S. President Joe Biden was among the first world leaders to salute da Silva, highlighting the country鈥檚 鈥渇ree, fair, and credible elections.鈥� By contrast, Bolsonaro took more than a month to congratulate Biden鈥檚 2020 victory against Trump.
President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador invited da Silva to visit Mexico at the end of November for the Pacific Alliance summit. The Workers' Party leader responded he had to wait for Bolsonaro to admit his defeat before accepting the invite, according to a video of the exchange.
Like Trump, Bolsonaro has his own potential legal concerns. He is one of the targets of a Supreme Court inquiry into and a Senate investigation recommended .
On Brazil鈥檚 Independence day last year, Bolsonaro told a cheering crowd that only God can remove him from office, then continued: 鈥淔or all of us, there are only three alternatives, especially for me: arrested, dead or victorious. Tell the scoundrels I鈥檒l never be arrested!鈥�
The high-stakes election was a stunning reversal for da Silva, 77, whose imprisonment for corruption sidelined him from the 2018 election that brought Bolsonaro, a defender of conservative social values, to power.
鈥淭oday, the only winner is the Brazilian people,鈥� da Silva said in a speech at a hotel in downtown Sao Paulo. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a victory of mine or the Workers鈥� Party, nor the parties that supported me in the campaign. It鈥檚 the victory of a democratic movement that formed above political parties, personal interests and ideologies.鈥�
Da Silva has promised to govern beyond his party. He wants to bring in centrists and even some leaning to the right who voted for him for the first time, and to restore the country鈥檚 more prosperous past. Yet he faces headwinds in a politically polarized society and is likely to face strong opposition from conservative lawmakers.
Thomas Traumann, an independent political analyst, compared the situation to Biden鈥檚 victory: Da Silva, like the U.S. president, is inheriting an extremely divided nation.
鈥淧eople are not only polarized on political matters, but also have different values, identity and opinions," Traumann said. "What鈥檚 more, they don鈥檛 care what the other side鈥檚 values, identities and opinions are.鈥�
The election in Latin America鈥檚 biggest economy extended a wave of recent leftist victories in South American countries, including Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
Da Silva鈥檚 inauguration is scheduled to take place on Jan. 1. He last served as president from 2003-2010.
During the campaign, he has kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when Brazil鈥檚 economy was booming and welfare helped tens of millions join the middle class.
Bolsonaro鈥檚 administration has been marked by incendiary speech, his testing of democratic institutions, his widely criticized handling of the pandemic and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years. But he has built a devoted base by defending conservative values and presenting himself as protection from leftist policies that he says infringe on personal liberties and produce economic turmoil. And he shored up support in an election year with vast government spending.
鈥淲e did not face an opponent, a candidate. We faced the machine of the Brazilian state put at his service so we could not win the election,鈥� da Silva told the crowd during his acceptance speech in Sao Paulo.
But da Silva is also remembered for his administration鈥檚 involvement in vast corruption revealed by sprawling investigations. His arrest in 2018 kept him out of that year鈥檚 race against Bolsonaro, a fringe lawmaker at the time who was an outspoken fan of Trump.
Da Silva was jailed for 580 days for corruption and money laundering. His convictions were later annulled by Brazil鈥檚 top court, which ruled the presiding judge had been biased and colluded with prosecutors. That enabled da Silva to run for the nation鈥檚 highest office for the sixth time.
Da Silva has pledged to boost spending on the poor, reestablish relationships with foreign governments and take bold action to eliminate illegal clear-cutting in the Amazon rainforest.
On social media, one of Bolsonaro鈥檚 sons, Sen. Fl谩vio Bolsonaro, who served as a coordinator on his father's campaign, thanked supporters and told them to keep their heads up and 鈥渄on't give up on Brazil.鈥�
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Jeantet reported from Rio de Janeiro. Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.
Diane Jeantet And Carla Bridi, The Associated Press
