International

Brazil’s Bolsonaro still silent on election loss to Lula

Photo: Evaristo Sa / AFP

| By AFP | Fran Blandy and Joshua Howat Berger |

Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro maintained an increasingly loud silence Monday after his election defeat, failing to acknowledge his loss to veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva — who faces a tough to-do list.

Twenty-four hours after the close of voting in Sunday’s deeply polarizing runoff election, Bolsonaro had still not recognized the outcome — raising fears he could try to challenge it, with potentially turbulent results for the country.

Charismatic but tarnished ex-president Lula defeated Bolsonaro by the narrowest margin in Brazil’s modern history — 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent — to return for an unprecedented third term at the helm of Latin America’s biggest economy from January 1.

After a dirty, divisive campaign that left the country of 215 million people split in two, the 77-year-old leftist icon now faces a laundry list of challenges, including a struggling economy, rampant destruction of the Amazon rainforest, and a powerful and angry far-right.

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But first, there is the giant question mark over whether Bolsonaro will accept defeat.

The far-right president has not spoken publicly or on his beloved social media accounts since the result was announced, after months of alleging fraud in the electoral system and a conspiracy against him.

The transition period got off to a tense start as pro-Bolsonaro truckers and protesters blocked highways in at least 11 states across the country Monday, burning tires and parking vehicles in the middle of the road to halt traffic.

Wearing the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag — which the outgoing president has adopted as his own — the protesters wielded pro-Bolsonaro signs and sang the national anthem, before gradually being broken up by the authorities.

Markets were volatile, but reacted favorably overall to the election: after dipping slightly, stocks were up 1.3 percent in afternoon trading in Sao Paulo, and the Brazilian real gained more than two percent against the dollar.

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Hope for climate fight

Lula, who vowed in his victory speech to restore Brazil’s damaged image on the international stage, started with phone calls with US President Joe Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and others, plus a meeting with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez in Sao Paulo, advisers said.

Biden and Lula “committed to continue working as partners to address common challenges, including combatting climate change, safeguarding food security, promoting inclusion and democracy, and managing regional migration,” the White House said.

There was meanwhile radio silence from Bolsonaro, whose absence sparked jokes online.

One meme that went viral earlier Monday featured a picture of a vaguely disoriented-looking Bolsonaro, with the caption, “Missing: elderly man, very talkative, has not been heard from in 12 hours.”

First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro meanwhile denied swirling rumors of a post-election marital crisis, after she and her husband reportedly stopped following each other on social media.

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AFP journalists said Bolsonaro left his official residence without comment Monday morning for the presidential offices, where he was photographed walking down a corridor with a grim face.

Officials there said the former army captain was meeting with cabinet ministers.

There are fears Bolsonaro, 67, could attempt a Brazilian version of the US Capitol riots which rocked that country after his political role model, former US president Donald Trump, refused to accept his election defeat in 2020.

But the Brazilian leader may find himself isolated.

Some key Bolsonaro allies have publicly recognized his loss, including the powerful speaker of the lower house of Congress, Arthur Lira.

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And international congratulations for Lula poured in from the US, China, India, France, Britain, South Africa and numerous others.

The European Union’s leadership voiced hope the result would lead to ratification of a trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur, long stalled over concerns about rampant deforestation in the Amazon under Bolsonaro.

Norway announced it would resume paying nearly $500 million in aid for protecting the world’s biggest rainforest, which it halted in 2019 over Bolsonaro’s policies.

“We had a head-on collision with Bolsonaro, whose approach was diametrically opposed (to Lula’s) when it came to deforestation,” Norwegian Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide told AFP.

Deep divisions

Lula, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, criticized his nemesis Sunday night for not acknowledging the result.

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“Anyplace else in the world, the defeated president would have called me to recognize his defeat,” he said in his victory speech to a euphoric sea of red-clad supporters in Sao Paulo.

The ex-metalworker, making his return from controversial, since-quashed corruption charges that sent him to prison for 18 months, vowed to work for “peace and unity” in the divided nation.

Easier said than done, according to political analysts.

“It was a very narrow victory (that left) half the population unhappy,” said political scientist Leandro Consentino of Insper university in Sao Paulo.

“Lula will have to show a lot of political skill to pacify the country.”

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Related Topics:Bolsonaro Brazil Election

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The 84-year-old woman was last seen on January 31, when she returned home after a family dinner. Since then, authorities have released few details about the suspected abduction.

“It is worrying that an elderly person could be the victim of a crime like this in her own home; we are a community of retirees,” Mario Ruiz, a resident who lives near the property, told EFE.

He explained that neighbors in the area tend to respect each other’s privacy, and many homes do not even have fences, surrounded only by the desert landscape about 110 kilometers from the Mexican border.

Support for the family is visible in an improvised altar set up outside Guthrie’s house. Flowers, candles and a message written on a stone — “Please pray, bring her home” — reflect the concern felt by the community.

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During a visit to Catalina Foothills on Wednesday, a strong presence of FBI agents could be seen patrolling nearby roads and neighborhoods in search of any clue that might help locate Guthrie.

Officers have been checking bushes, trash containers and surrounding areas near the residence, which is located in one of Tucson’s most exclusive districts, close to shopping centers, private golf courses and resorts.

International

Over 50 Civil Groups Urge House to Impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

More than 50 civil society organizations, including Latino collectives and migrant advocacy groups, on Tuesday urged the U.S. House of Representatives to open impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whom they accuse of leading a migration policy that is “violent, reckless, and contrary to the Constitution.”

The request was submitted through a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislative leaders. In the document, the organizations argue that Noem has encouraged repressive practices that have left multiple victims and have “intentionally undermined the mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”

Among the signatories are Voto Latino, Freedom for Immigrants (FFI), Hispanic Federation, UnidosUS, and the Latino Victory Project. The groups emphasized that at least 187 lawmakers already support the impeachment initiative introduced in January by Representative Robin Kelly for alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The accusations include the alleged obstruction of congressional access to migrant detention centers and the excessive use of force, with at least 14 people shot since July 2025. They also cite three documented deaths, including those of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

The organizations further criticized the detention of migrant children, pointing to the case of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, arrested in Minnesota last month, which sparked nationwide controversy.

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They also denounced that operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have resulted in due process violations, unlawful detentions of Indigenous citizens, and disregard for court orders. According to the signatories, Noem has “dismantled” civil rights protections within the DHS and has shown a lack of understanding of constitutional principles such as habeas corpus.

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Guatemala to Phase Out Longstanding Medical Cooperation Agreement with Cuba

Guatemala’s government announced on Tuesday that it will end this year a cooperation agreement with Cuba that has brought doctors from the Caribbean nation to work in the Central American country.

Guatemala’s Health Ministry told EFE that the program, which has been in place for nearly three decades, will be phased out progressively throughout 2026.

According to the same source, there are currently 412 Cubans in Guatemala under the agreement, including 333 physicians.

Cuban medical brigades assigned to Guatemala have traditionally been deployed to various regions of the country to provide primary health care to local communities.

“The decision follows a technical assessment aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the national workforce and consolidating the public health system’s own capacities,” the Guatemalan ministry said.

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Earlier this week, lawmaker Sonia Gutiérrez, from the left-wing Winaq party, warned that the move “could be an inhumane act that threatens the health and lives of the country’s most vulnerable populations,” given the historic importance of Cuban doctors in providing medical care.

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Former human rights ombudsman Jordán Rodas Andrade also weighed in on social media, recalling that “for 27 years Cuban doctors have been the backbone of health care in Guatemala’s most neglected areas,” and stressing that “ending this agreement is an act of ingratitude that leaves the most vulnerable unprotected.”

President Bernardo Arévalo’s government told EFE that, in order to guarantee continued care, it will implement a gradual replacement plan that includes hiring national personnel.