MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Road blockades still active in seven Brazilian States

Bolsonarist protesters keep disregarding the President's plea. Photo: AFP

Brazil's Highway Police reported early Thursday that there were at least 73 roadblocks active in 7 States nationwide, despite President Jair Bolsonaro's message to his followers that the people's right to wander was not to be affected.

Although Federal Highway Police (PRF) managed to free up traffic in at least 876 locations, there were still at least 73 foci of partial or total blocking on federal highways

In this scenario, the National Federation of Distributors of Fuels, Biofuels and Natural Gas (Brasilcom) Wednesday warned of the risk of fuel shortages.

“Brasilcom recommends coordinated actions by the responsible authorities to urgently unblock the roads and, where necessary, protect and monitor the movement of fuel transportation, in order to ensure the supply of retail stations, supermarkets, and hospitals, the main victims of supply interruptions,” the federation said in a statement.

In Santa Catarina, protesters who do not accept the results of Sunday's elections were still blocking or limiting the circulation of vehicles on at least 27 stretches of federal highways. Authorities also have reported there were blockades in Amazonas (1 case), Mato Grosso (24), Mato Grosso do Sul (2), Pará (7), Paraná (2); and Rondônia (10).

The first interdiction was registered in Mato Grosso do Sul, around 9:15 pm on Sunday (30), about an hour and a half after the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) announced that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) had been elected.

President Bolsonaro released a video Wednesday evening asking protesters to clear the federal highways and demonstrate elsewhere because it was “necessary to respect people's right to come and go” and that protests on highways harm the country's economy. “Clear the highways, this is not part of legitimate demonstrations,” Bolsonaro said.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)