WEB DESK
Far right Leader Jair Bolsonaro, was sworn in as president of Brazil yesterday. Mr. Bolsonaro took over as President at a ceremony held at the National Congress building in the capital Brasilia.
In his inaugural speech, Mr. Bolsonaro promised to build a society without discrimination or division. He told Congress that he wanted a national pact to free Brazil of corruption, crime and economic mismanagement. In a swipe at the left, he vowed to free Brazil of ideology.
Contesting from Social liberal party, Mr Bolsonaro, won the presidential election by a wide margin against Fernando Haddad of the left-wing Workers Party on 28 October.
Mr.Bolsonaro campaigned on a platform to fight crime and boost security, increase employment and combat corruption.
Bolsonaro, 63, was a seven-term fringe congressman who rode a wave of anti-establishment anger to became Brazil’s first far-right president since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian rule three decades ago.
Bolsonaro plans to realign Brazil internationally, moving away from developing nation allies and closer to the policies of Western leaders, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump, who sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to his inauguration.
As a clear sign of that diplomatic shift, Bolsonaro plans to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking with Brazil’s traditional support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.
Crowds of supporters, many with the Brazilian flag draped around their shoulders and with faces painted yellow and green, the national colors, gathered before the Planalto palace, where later Tuesday the presidential sash will be draped on Bolsonaro.
Backed massively by conservative sectors of Brazil, including Christian evangelical churches, Bolsonaro would block moves to legalize abortion beyond even the current limited exceptions and remove sex education from public schools, opposing what he calls “cultural Marxism” introduced by recent leftist governments.