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As many world leaders rushed to send president-elect Joe Biden congratulations on his US election victory over Donald Trump, others were noticeable in their silence on Sunday.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would not congratulate Biden, the projected winner of the US presidential election, on his victory until all legal challenges are resolved.
Lopez Obrador said during a press conference he would refrain until “all legal issues [related to the election] are resolved. We don’t want to be reckless”.
The Mexican president added his country had a good relationship with both Biden and President Trump, as he praised the sitting leader for being “very respectful of us”.
While outspoken disappointment was scarce, several prominent leaders who have maintained warm relations with Trump’s administration also kept silent on Biden’s win. That included President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.
‘Lesson for Bolsonaro’
Brazil’s leading media outlets reported Trump’s defeat in the context of its own populist leader, Bolsonaro, who has similarly sought to diminish democratic institutions and reject science-based facts.
“Trump’s defeat punishes the attacks against civilisation, it is a lesson for Bolsonaro,” wrote Folha de Sao Paulo, one of Brazil’s main daily newspapers.
“May Brazil’s leaders seize the spirit of the times – or die, like Trump, who has already left it too late.”
Trump has shown no signs of willingness to concede and has made repeated unfounded allegations of significant voting irregularities, some of which have already been rejected by courts and election officials.
The Republican president promised to keep up legal battles and launch news ones on Monday. It remains to be seen if any of his efforts will succeed, but it is doubtful he will be able to overturn a growing consensus around the election result.
There also was no immediate reaction from Russia’s Putin, who was friendly with Trump. But other leaders who supported Trump – including Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, India’s Narendra Modi and President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines – congratulated Biden, indicating they rejected Trump’s claim the election was not over.
(AL JAZEERA)
