Sao Paulo, 2/1: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office Sunday for a third term as Brazil’s president, in a ceremony snubbed by outgoing leader Jair Bolsonaro, underlining the deep divisions the veteran leftist inherits.
The 77-year-old ex-metalworker, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, took the oath of office before Congress, vowing to “maintain, defend and obey the constitution” as he returns to lead Latin America’s biggest economy after a bitterly divisive election in October.
Lula wore a blue suit and tie for the swearing-in, which began with a minute’s silence for Brazilian football legend Pele and former pope Benedict XVI, who both died in recent days.
It capped a remarkable political comeback for Lula, who returns to the presidential palace less than five years after being jailed on controversial, since-quashed corruption charges.
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