Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been sworn in for a third term.
Da Silva promised during his inauguration speech to fight for the poor and the environment, as well as to “rebuild the country” after far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro’s tumultuous administration.
[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/tirv7UR-VtY” lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.tvcnews.tv/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]
The 77-year-old veteran socialist, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, took the oath of office in front of Congress, concluding a spectacular political return for the metalworker-turned-president, who was imprisoned on contentious, since-quashed corruption accusations less than five years ago.
Lula said his government would work to undo a legacy of economic decline, funding cuts in health, education, and science, and the “stupidity” of plundering the nation’s resources for private gain, in a blistering review of the past four years under Bolsonaro, who snubbed the ceremony in a break with tradition.
Lula, dressed in a blue suit and tie, arrived to the ceremony in a black convertible Rolls-Royce, escorted by First Lady Rosangela “Janja” da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin.
The ceremony opened with a moment of silence for Brazilian football legend Pele and former Pope Benedict XVI, both of whom died recently.
Tens of thousands of red-clad supporters cheered loudly as their motorcade slowly rolled down Brasilia s Esplanade of Ministries, escorted by dozens of bodyguards.
Security was exceptionally tight for the ceremony, with some 8,000 police deployed, after a Bolsonaro supporter was arrested last week for planting a tanker truck rigged with explosives near the capital s airport, a plot he said aimed to “sow chaos” in the South American country.
Police said they arrested another man Sunday who tried to enter the secured inaugural ceremony area carrying a knife and fireworks.
It is the first time that a new president has not received the yellow-and-green presidential sash from his predecessor since the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship from 1965 to 1985.
Bolsonaro left Brazil on Friday for the US state of Florida.
The snub had no effect on Lula and the crowds who gathered for the New Year’s Day ceremony and a large celebration performance including acts ranging from samba veteran Martinho da Vila to drag queen Pabllo Vittar.
Massive lines of Lula fans from across the country organized to pass through the security perimeter, screaming out pro-Lula slogans.
