Brasilia

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as Brazil's president on Sunday, vowing to "rebuild the country" after far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro's divisive administration. At his inauguration ceremony, Lula described Bolsonaro’s government as one of the worst periods in Brazilian history and called the last few years “an era of shadows, doubts and a lot of suffering.”

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In a speech to Congress after officially taking over, Lula said democracy was the true winner of the October presidential vote in which he ousted Bolsonaro in the most fraught election for a generation.

"Democracy was the great victor in this election, overcoming ... the most violent threats to freedom to vote, and the most abject campaign of lies and hate plotted to manipulate and embarrass the electorate," Lula told lawmakers.

Also Read | Lula da Silva takes over as Brazil's president, slams Bolsonaro's legacy

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Lula's supporters clad in red braved the scorching heat and flooded Brasilia to cheer Lula as he was driven in a black convertible Rolls-Royce, accompanied by First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin.

Lula vowed a drastic change of course to rescue a nation plagued by hunger, poverty, racism and gender inequality.

"Upon these terrible ruins, I pledge to rebuild the country, together with the Brazilian people," he said.

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Lula also said that he will work towards zero deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, where destruction surged under Bolsonaro.

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In a veiled attack on Bolsonaro, referring to Lula's time behind the bars on graft convictions during Bolsonaro's 2019 inauguration, Lula said "we do not carry any spirit of revenge against those who tried to subjugate the nation to their personal and ideological designs".

He said he will "guarantee the rule of law", without mentioning Bolsonaro by name. "Those who erred will answer for their errors."

He also accused Bolsonaro's administration of committing "genocide" during the COVID-19 virus due to an inadequate response that killed more than 680,000 Brazilians.

"The responsibilities for this genocide must be investigated and must not go unpunished," he said.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on Friday after refusing to concede defeat. He has also levelled baseless claims of electoral weaknesses that birthed a violent movement of election deniers.

Bolsonaro now faces mounting judicial risks related to his anti-democratic rhetoric and his pandemic handling. 

Lula's plans are a stark contrast to Bolsonaro's four years in office, which were characterized by backsliding on environmental protections in the Amazon rainforest, looser gun laws and weaker protections for indigenous peoples and minorities.

Lula said he wants to turn Brazil, one of the world's top food producers, into a green superpower.

(With inputs from agencies)

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