The president of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Alexandre de Moraes, ordered on Monday the «immediate clearing of roads» in the face of blockades caused by Bolsonaro-friendly truckers protesting the election result and fined the head of the Federal Highway Police (PRF) 100,000 reais (about 19.5 euros) for each hour that the roadblocks persist.
Moares said Monday that the PRF «has not been fulfilling its constitutional and legal task» and pointed out that failure to comply with this order could lead to the dismissal or even the arrest of the director of the body, Silvinei Vasques.
The TSE has established a penalty for Vasques of 100,000 reais for each hour that passes without clearing the strikes that already affect 22 states, according to ‘O Globo’. The fine takes effect as of 00.00 a.m. (local time). In addition, Moares has urged to identify the owners of the trucks in order to be able to sanction them later with the same amount.
The head of the Electoral Tribunal has included videos as evidence in which it can be seen how PRF agents indicate to the demonstrators that they do not intend to bother them. In addition, one of them says that the only order received is to remain in place alongside Bolsonaro’s supporters, after which he receives a loud cheer, as reported by the Brazilian press.
«That the Federal Highway Police and the respective state military police, within the scope of their attributions, immediately take all necessary and sufficient measures, at the discretion of the competent authorities of the Federal Executive Branch and the State Executive Branches, for the immediate clearing of obstructions of all public roads that, illicitly, have their transit interrupted,» he has urged.
The protests have already cut 136 roads in the country, which has also provoked the rejection of the National Confederation of Transports and of the electoral deputy attorney general, Paulo Gonet, who has qualified the demonstrations as «anti-democratic» and motivated by «simple disagreement with the result».
This Monday afternoon, the Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office has given a 24-hour deadline to the general director of the PRF, Silveni Vasques, for him to explain how he has acted to «ensure the maintenance of the flow on the federal highways», as well as the complete list of the blockades that have taken place this Monday.
Likewise, the prosecutor requested information from the Public Prosecutor’s Office of each of the affected states on the measures adopted to «investigate the possible omission or facilitation» by PRF agents of these blockades.
In the second round of the presidential elections held this Sunday, Lula da Silva has been elected president, so as of January 2023 he will return to the position he left in 2010. The leader of the Workers’ Party (PT) obtained two million more votes, 50.9 percent of the votes, than his rival, Jair Bolsonaro, who more than half a day later has still not acknowledged his defeat.
THE FEDERAL SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS THE TSE DECISION The majority of the Federal Supreme Court (STF, for its acronym in Portuguese) confirmed Moraes’ decision on Tuesday. After learning of the order, the president of the Court, Rosa Weber, called an extraordinary session of the plenary in virtual mode for 0:00 a.m. this Tuesday. In less than half an hour, six magistrates had already voted, confirming the decision.
Justices Luís Roberto Barroso, Edson Fachin, Gilmar Mendes, Cármen Lúcia, in addition to Rosa herself, were in favor of Moraes’ decision. Half an hour later, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli also cast their votes, according to the Brazilian newspaper ‘Folha de Sao Paulo’.
