Lula vows to pull Brazil out of Bolsonaro’s era of ‘devastation’

Veteran leftwinger promises to deliver environmental protection and social progress as he’s sworn in as president

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to haul Brazil out of Jair Bolsonaro’s era of “devastation”, barbarism and hate after being sworn in as the new president of Latin America’s largest democracy.

Addressing the National Congress in Brasília on Sunday afternoon, the veteran leftwinger, a former factory worker who was president from 2003 to 2010, celebrated the defeat of the far-right radical’s “authoritarian project” in October’s election, and promised to lead Brazil into a new chapter of environmental protection, social progress and “rational democratic” government.