Lula vows to fight for environment and equality as he becomes Brazil's president – again
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slams far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro and vows a drastic change of course to rescue Brazil
ByOur Foreign Staff2 January 2023 • 2:11am
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves at supporters after receiving the presidential sash at Planalto Palace CREDIT: Reuters
New Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has delivered a searing indictment of far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro and vowed a drastic change of course to rescue a nation plagued by hunger, poverty and racism.In a speech to Congress after officially taking the reins of Latin America's biggest country on Sunday, the leftist said democracy was the true winner of the October presidential vote, when he ousted Mr Bolsonaro in the most fraught election for a generation.Mr Bolsonaro, who left Brazil for the United States on Friday after refusing to concede defeat, rattled the cages of Brazil's young democracy with baseless claims of electoral weaknesses that birthed a violent movement of election deniers."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," Mr Lula told lawmakers.Mr Lula, who was behind bars during Mr Bolsonaro's 2019 inauguration on graft convictions that were later overturned, delivered a veiled threat to his predecessor.Although Mr Bolsonaro's Florida trip insulates him from any immediate legal jeopardy in Brazil, he now faces mounting judicial risks – related to his anti-democratic rhetoric and his pandemic handling – after losing his presidential immunity."We do not carry any spirit of revenge against those who tried to subjugate the nation to their personal and ideological designs, but we will guarantee the rule of law," Mr Lula said, without mentioning Mr Bolsonaro by name. "Those who erred will answer for their errors."He also accused Mr Bolsonaro's administration of committing "genocide" by failing to respond properly to the COVID-19 virus that killed more than 680,000 Brazilians."The responsibilities for this genocide must be investigated and must not go unpunished," he said.Supporters of Brazil's President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gather in Brasilia to celebrate his swearing-in