Brazil's Bolsonaro avoids conceding defeat, but begins transition to winner Lula

Caption

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a news conference at Alvorada Palace in Brasília, Brazil, on Tuesday. Bolsonaro vowed to follow the constitution in his first speech after narrowly losing Sunday's runoff election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but didn't formally concede. / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Updated November 1, 2022 at 4:30 PM ET

Almost two days after Sunday's vote, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro finally made his first statement about the election but did not concede that he lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

"As president and as a citizen I will continue to follow all the commandments of our constitution," Bolsonaro said Tuesday in a televised address.

After the address, Bolsonaro's chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, told reporters that the incumbent president had authorized him to "begin the transition process."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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