Right-wing nationalist Jair Bolsonaro, after being inaugurated as Brazil’s president on Tuesday, called on Congress to combat endemic corruption and promised to “work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny.”
Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes after taking the oath of office, Bolsonaro, a former Army captain and admirer of the country’s 1964 to 1985 military dictatorship, promised to adhere to democratic norms.
He said his government would be guided by the promises he made to Brazilian voters fed up with graft, high levels of violent crime and a still-sputtering economy.
“I will work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny,” Bolsonaro said after being sworn in. “My vow is to strengthen Brazil’s democracy.”
On the economic front, the new leader promised to “create a new virtuous cycle to open markets” and “carry out important structural reforms” to shore up a yawning public deficit.
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.
