Tens of Thousands Protest Against Brazil's New Elect-President

30 October 2018
Telesur

Bolsonaro, a 63-year-old former paratrooper, joins a list of far right-wing figures to win elections in recent years that include U.S. President Donald Trump, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Sao Paolo and other cities to protest Brazil's president-elect Jair Bolsonaro's win in Sunday's elections.

The protest was organized by the Frente Brasil Popular, a federation of hundreds of social organizations, including the Landless Workers, the Urban Homeless Workless Movement, labor unions associated with ACUT,  and student organizations among others.

Protesters chanted "Not Him," a popular refrain throughout a recent, divisive campaign by those opposed to Bolsonaro, as they marched down Paulista Avenue, a major artery in this mega city.

"We always wanted the best for our country, but I still can't see his mandate with good faith," said protester Daniele Mantei.

Bolsonaro won the presidential race handily with already an investigation upon illegal disinformative campaigns on Whatsapp, while the real frontrunner for this election was the Workers Party's candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in prison over controversial corruption charges.

Bolsonaro won 55 percent of votes in a run-off election against left-wing hopeful Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party (PT), who got 45 percent, according to electoral authority TSE.