Brazil’s Lula takes office for third presidential term; Bolsonaro makes for Florida

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in Sunday as Brazil’s president for a third time after winning against far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.

The left-leaning pol known as just Lula to his supporters emphasized rebuilding and said Bolsonaro’s administration would be held responsible for measures that included loosening gun control and denying the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 700,000 people have died of the virus in the South American country, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Bolsonaro, who faces the prospect of numerous probes into his actions as president, was in Orlando, Fla., according to the New York Times. He’s expected to stay there for at least a month.

“Our message to Brazil is one of hope and reconstruction,” da Silva said at the Brazilian Congress’ Lower House. “The great edifice of rights, sovereignty and development that this nation built has been systematically demolished in recent years. To re-erect this edifice, we are going to direct all our efforts.”

He started last month by appointing an unprecedented 11 women to governmental posts, including Sônia Guajajara, an indigenous woman who will lead the newly created ministry for Indigenous Peoples.

Lula served two presidential terms from 2003 to 2010. In 2018, he was brought down by a corruption conviction that was later annulled, opening up the way for him to run for office again.

He defeated Bolsonaro in October after a runoff election. While Bolsonaro had expressed doubts about the electoral process running up to the vote, he said he would not contest the result even as he refused to concede. Bolsonaro did not stick around for the handover ceremony, flying to the U.S. on Friday, according to BBC News.

Lula said he harbored no ill will, though he did not mention Bolsonaro’s name amid celebrations by tens of thousands of supporters wearing red, the color of Lula’s Workers’ Party.

“We do not carry any spirit of revenge against those who sought to subjugate the nation to their personal and ideological designs, but we are going to ensure the rule of law,” Lula said. “Those who erred will answer for their errors, with broad rights to their defense within the due legal process.”

With News Wire Services