Mati Barnhart, knitted news01.01.23 20:49 H in Tevet Tishpag
Credit: Wagner Vilas
Luiz Incio da Silva (Lula) was sworn in as the new-old president of Brazil, after defeating the previous president Jair Bolsonaro in the second round in October.
Hundreds of thousands of people arrived in the capital Brasilia to witness the inauguration ceremony, when at the time the police feared that Bolsonaro’s supporters would try to disrupt the celebrations. Bolsonaro himself is not participating in the event, as he has been visiting the US since Friday.
Many of Lula’s supporters gathered in front of the Congress building starting in the morning, dressed in the red colors of the Workers’ Party. Many artists are expected to perform, and the event has already been nicknamed “Lola-Floosa”, after the music festival “LaLaFloosa”.
Bolsonaro and da Silva (Credit: Fontana/Shutterstock)
The signs held by the demonstrators read, among other things, that “Love has defeated hate” and “Brazil needs this change.”
Lula and his deputy Geraldo Alcamin traveled around the city in an open-top bus before arriving at the Senate, where the inauguration ceremony was held. The two have been busy in recent days choosing the new cabinet.
As mentioned, in the second round last October, da Silva won 50.9% of the votes and Bolsonaro won 49.10%.
This is the most divisive election in decades in the South American country, when Lula, the socialist leftist, ran again for the presidency after being in prison for corruption offences.
Facing Lula da Silva was the incumbent president, a right-wing populist, who attacked the voting system and threatened to refuse to acknowledge defeat.
The 66-year-old Bolsonaro is considered a controversial president in Brazil due to his anti-establishment tendencies and unbridled remarks.
He served as a member of Congress for about three decades, during which he promoted a pro-gun, anti-LGBT and anti-abortion agenda. In 2018, he was elected president of the country, as a conservative counter-reaction to Lula’s left-wing government.
On the other hand, the 76-year-old Lula founded the Workers’ Party in 1976, and ran 6 times for president on behalf of the party since 1980.
He served as president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, and is considered one of the most popular presidents in the country’s history.
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