Bolsonaro, Lula teams hold 'positive' meeting over government transition

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has met with advisors to incoming successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who described the visit as "positive," after fears the far-right incumbent would try to fight his election defeat.

Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin, who is heading Lula's transition team, said on Thursday that the meeting came at the end of a trip to the presidential palace where he and advisors met Bolsonaro's cabinet chief, Ciro Nogueira, to begin preparing the handover of power on January 1.

"It was positive. The president invited us into his offices as we were leaving, and reiterated what Ciro Nogueira had said: the federal government's readiness to give us all information and assistance needed for a smooth transition in the public interest," Alckmin told journalists.

Brazil has been on edge since veteran leftist Lula's narrow win on Sunday over Bolsonaro, who remained silent for nearly two days as angry supporters blocked highways across the country, calling for a military intervention to keep him in power.

However, with the blockades losing strength, the wheels of the power transfer appear to be turning.

Earlier, Alckmin told a news conference he had held a "very fruitful" meeting with Nogueira and other administration officials along with the head of Lula's Workers' Party (PT), Gleisi Hoffmann, and the transition team's technical coordinator, Aloizio Mercadante.

"The transition has begun ... As Lula said in his victory speech, our task is to unite Brazil. So here we go," Alckmin said.

They will begin announcing the full membership of the transition team on Monday, he said.

READ MORE: Brazil top court: Bolsonaro concedes election defeat by allowing transition

Bolsonaro isolated as allies accept election outcome 

The pro-Bolsonaro roadblocks had threatened to create havoc in Latin America's biggest economy.

Officials said there were 32 road barricades by Thursday afternoon, down from 250 Tuesday, after Bolsonaro issued an appeal to "unblock the roads" to avoid interfering with people's right to move freely.

Bolsonaro encouraged "legitimate demonstrations" in a video posted online on Wednesday night — raising fears Brazil may still face turbulent times until Lula is sworn in, and beyond.

Bolsonaro supporters reacted furiously to the vote count, blocking highways with cars, trucks, and tractors and rallying outside military barracks to demand intervention.

But Bolsonaro appeared to find himself isolated after his defeat, as allies including powerful lower-house speaker Arthur Lira and televangelist Silas Malafaia acknowledged the result.

The protesters have meanwhile come under fire for their extreme measures and views in some cases.

Authorities in the southern state of Santa Catarina opened an investigation after one group of hundreds of pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators was filmed making what appeared to be Nazi salutes on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said in a statement they had not found evidence the protesters intended the gesture as a "defense of Nazism," a crime in Brazil.

READ MORE: Brazil probes Bolsonaro supporters' 'Nazi-salute' in viral video