Brazil’s Bolsonaro sworn in as president

Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as Brazil’s president. The former army captain is taking the reins of Latin America’s largest and most populous nation promising to overhaul myriad aspects of daily life and put an end to business-as-usual governing.

The New Year’s Day inauguration is the culmination of Bolsonaro’s journey from a marginalized and even ridiculed congressmen to a leader who many Brazilians hope can combat endemic corruption as well as violence that routinely gives the nation the dubious distinction of being world leader in total homicides.

A fan of US President Donald Trump, the 63-year-old longtime congressman rose to power on an anti-corruption and pro-gun agenda. Those stances energized conservatives and hard-right supporters after four consecutive presidential election wins by the left-leaning Workers’ Party. Many of his stances also terrify detractors, who fear an increase in violence, particularly by police.

— AP