Brazilian police checkpoints generate gigantic traffic jams in Lula’s strongholds during the vote

The electoral justice Brazil demanded this Sunday the highway police to interrupt operations that caused huge traffic jams and delayed voter access to polling stations during the presidential ballot.

The president of Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Alexandre de Moraesexplained that operations of the Federal Highway Police (PRF) boarding vehicles to verify compliance with the traffic code were “delaying the arrival of voters” at the voting centers.

LOOK: Lula’s party calls for the arrest of the director of the Highway Police for obstructing the vote with checkpoints

However, he clarified that “in no case did it prevent them from arriving” to vote.

“The damage it eventually caused was the delay. No bus returned to its starting point. There was no prejudice to the right to vote. said Moraesso he ruled out extending the voting schedule.

LOOK: Brazil Elections 2022: Justice minimizes the electoral impact of police checkpoints on highways

leaders of the Workers’ Party (PT) of the former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010) published on social networks numerous videos of buses with stranded voters, particularly in rural areas of the northeast, the leftist’s electoral stronghold.

#deixeonordestevotar
People, are the videos you are reviewing on WhatsApp true? @TSEjusbr @alexandre @STF_oficial
Blitz and unemployed voters with mãos na cabeça, tens of pessoas?
Absurd… pic.twitter.com/rMvbSD8jAj

— @GracieusaBrito ???????????????????????????????????????????? (@GracieusaBrito) October 30, 2022

The videos, which also showed private cars stopped at checkpoints, went viral under the hashtag #Deixeonordestevotar (Let the northeast vote).

A PRF is doing Blitz at the entrance of Cuité, Paraíba. Huge nonsense!! Já is afugenting the population of the rural area!! Somebody needs to do something! O povo não vem vote! @TSEjusbr pic.twitter.com/JwgrPGaynq

– Hígor Lins ✠ (@higorlins3) October 30, 2022

The president of the PT, Gleisi Hoffmann, announced on Twitter that requested the arrest of the director of the PRF, Silvinei Vasques, for “non-compliance with a TSE decision” that prohibited road controls this Sunday as a result of the elections.

“Inadmissible what is happening in the northeast”, Lula said on his Telegram channel, sharing Hoffmann’s message.

Moraeswho met this afternoon with Vasques, minimized the complaints by ensuring that “there is no need to amplify the situation.”

The controversy increased when local media reported that Vasques posted a message on Saturday night on his Instagram profile calling for far-right president Jair Bolsonaro to vote, Lula’s rival in the ballot, which he later erased.

According to the daily Folha de São Paulo, this Sunday there were more than 500 checkpoints to control buses at noon70% more than in the first round, on October 2.

Allies of the president defended the operations of the highway police. “What do you want to hide by preventing the police from working?” said Eduardo Bolsonaro, deputy and son of the president, on Twitter.

On Sunday morning, the Belo Horizonte metro, capital of the state of Minas Gerais (southeast), did not work for free, despite a court decision that required it. The situation was regularized at noon, after the intervention of Moraes.

In the first round of the presidential Lula won with 48% of the votes, compared to 43% of Bolsonaro.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.