The far-right former Army captain Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as Brazil’s president, promising to fulfil his campaign commitments to tackle rampant corruption and crime.

His populist rhetoric may have driven him to the presidency, but Mr Bolsonaro is a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many in the country. Indeed, he has faced charges of inciting rape and for hate crimes in the past.

A fan of US president Donald Trump, the 63-year-old longtime congressman rose from a ridiculed figure to power on an anti-corruption and pro-gun agenda. He has energised conservatives and far-right supporters after four consecutive presidential election wins by the left-leaning Workers’ Party.

“I will work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny,” Mr Bolsonaro said.

The US was represented by vice president Mike Pence, with Mr Bolsonaro making clear that he wants to work closely with Mr Trump’s administration. He has already followed Mr Trump by pledging to move Brazil’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and Brazil has also withdrawn an offer to host UN climate talks later this year.

Indeed, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of a number of nationalist leaders, including Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, to attend the ceremony.

As for Mr Trump, he tweeted his congratulations to Mr Bolsonaro and said the US stood with him.

Like the US president, Mr Bolsonaro has left environmentalists concerned by plans to build hydroelectric dams in the Amazon and open up to mining the reservations of indigenous peoples.

Leftist presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Miguel Diaz-Canel of Cuba, all deemed dictators by Mr Bolsonaro, were uninvited by his team after the foreign ministry sent them invitations. Mr Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton has also called the three nations a “troika of tyranny”.

Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Show all 20 1 /20 Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters wait in front of the Planalto Palace, where he will take office EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress before he is sworn AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters take pictures as Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Flanked by first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro waves to the crowd, as he rides in an open car after his swearing-in ceremony AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro reacts as he drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro reacts as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes RICARDO MORAES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration The National Congress before Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro is sworn in AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes RICARDO MORAES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters of Brazil's President Elect Jair Bolsonaro are cooled down with a water hose by firefighters, prior Bolsonaro's inauguration, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Silvia Izquierdo AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration The presidential convoy, led by Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro in a Rolls Royce, heads to the National Congress for his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia on January 1, 2019. - Bolsonaro takes office with promises to radically change the path taken by Latin America's biggest country by trashing decades of centre-left policies. (Photo by Carl DE SOUZA / AFP)CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images CARL DE SOUZA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration epa07257163 Sympathizers of Brazilian President-elect, Jair Bolsonaro, walk past a giant figure of the future president before the beginning of the inauguration ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil, 01 January 2019. A far-right president leads the biggest Latin America democracy for first time since the end of military rule (1964-1985). Bolsonaro defeated candidate Fernando Haddad in the runoff, held in October 2018, receiving 55 percent of the vote. EPA/Fernando Bizerra Jr Fernando Bizerra Jr EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) gestures next to his wife Michelle Bolsonaro as the presidential convoy heads to the National Congress for his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia on January 1, 2019. - Bolsonaro takes office with promises to radically change the path taken by Latin America's biggest country by trashing decades of centre-left policies. (Photo by Carl DE SOUZA / AFP)CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images CARL DE SOUZA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Firefighters spray water at supporters of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro to cool them down, while they gather to wait for his inauguration ceremony at "Tres Poderes" square in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on January 01, 2019. - Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images EVARISTO SA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters take pictures as Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro drives past before his swear-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes RICARDO MORAES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, arrive at Brazil's National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares PILAR OLIVARES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, gather at the "Tres Poderes" square in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, before his inauguration ceremony on January 01, 2019. - Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images EVARISTO SA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, gather to wait for his inauguration ceremony at "Tres Poderes" square in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on January 01, 2019. - Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images EVARISTO SA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro addresses Congress, during his swearing-in ceremony as Brazil's new president, in Brasilia on January 1, 2019. - Bolsonaro takes office with promises to radically change the path taken by Latin America's biggest country by trashing decades of centre-left policies. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP)NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images NELSON ALMEIDA AFP/Getty

Mr Bolsonaro is likely to block any moves to legalise abortion beyond the current limited exceptions and remove sex education from public schools. Backed by conservatives and evangelicals he is against what he calls “cultural Marxism” introduced by recent left-leaning governments.

Many of Mr Bolsonaro’s critics fear the new administration will mean autocratic rule. Seven of Mr Bolsonaro’s 22 cabinet ministers are former military personnel, more than in any administration during Brazil’s 1964 to 1985 dictatorship.

The day was full of the pomp you might expect, but security was tight with 3,000 police on duty. Mr Bolsonaro travelled from Brasilia Cathedral to Congress in an open-top Rolls Royce escorted by cavalry on white horses and jogging security guards, as the crowds cheered. The increased security came at Mr Bolsonaro’s request after he was stabbed at a campaign rally in September.

“I came here just for the inauguration,” supporter Antonio Vendramin told Agence-France Presse.

“I made a lot of money and saved money to buy the ticket, to be able to buy the plane ticket because it’s a long way to come by car but we managed to make it all the way to be here on this day for President Bolsonaro’s inauguration. We’re full of pride.”

Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes after taking the oath of office Mr Bolsonaro vowed to adhere to democratic norms. “My vow is to strengthen Brazil’s democracy,” he said.

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On the economic front, the new leader promised to “create a new virtuous cycle to open markets” and “carry out important structural reforms” to shore up a large public deficit.

The key measure for reducing the deficit will be the overhaul of the country’s costly social security pension system.