Several tens of thousands of Lula supporters dressed in red had invaded the center of Brasilia at midday on Sunday, a few hours before the historic leader of the left was proclaimed president of Brazil for the third time.
The investiture ceremonies, placed under tight security, were snubbed by outgoing head of state Jair Bolsonaro, who left Brazil two days before the end of his term.
He will therefore not hand over the presidential sash to his successor as is the democratic tradition, which has not happened since 1985 and the end of the military regime.
At 77, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is to be proclaimed president of the large emerging country of 215 million inhabitants, 12 years after leaving power after two terms (2003-2010).
Up to 300,000 people are expected for this day to combine the pomp, with ceremonies regulated to the millimeter to which 17 heads of state must attend, and a popular festival with concerts.
Under the blazing sun of this early southern summer, thousands of Brazilians, often dressed in the emblematic red of Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT), had to wait in queues of hundreds of meters because of the controls security, noted an AFP journalist.
“Olé, olé, olà, Lula, Lula”, and “A esplanada e nossa! (the esplanade is ours) shouted a joyful crowd, referring to the Esplanade des Ministries, in the heart of Brasilia, where Lula will deliver his first speech as president in the afternoon.
“It’s a historic moment and it would have been impossible for me not to be there,” Zenia Maria Soares Pinto, a retired teacher, told AFP. She traveled 30 hours by bus from her southern state of Santa Catarina to reach Brasilia and her “emotion is boundless”.
Sapuia Kalapo, a native of Mato Grosso (center-west), came with his family and “expects a lot” from Lula’s government, “for our rights, and the delimitation of our lands”, he says, because “the four years of the government (Bolsonaro) have been very bad” for the natives.
“Creating Chaos”
Reclusive and almost silent since his defeat in October, Bolsonaro, who loses his presidential immunity, left Brazil on Friday for Florida.
While his most radical followers want to prevent Lula’s accession to power and are still camped outside barracks in the country, demanding military intervention, security has been tightened.
All the police forces of the district of Brasilia, some 8,000 agents, are mobilized, as well as a thousand federal police officers.
The number of people who can attend Lula’s speech outside Planalto Palace has been limited to 30,000.
Patrols are taking place at Brasilia airport near which an explosive device was discovered a week ago in a tanker truck, placed by a Bolsonarist who wanted to “create chaos” in Brazil.
The ceremonies were to begin at 2:20 p.m. with the arrival at the cathedral of Lula and his vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin.
Lula was then to ride to Congress in the traditional Rolls Royce convertible, despite concerns about his safety.
“Great popular festival”
He will be officially sworn in as president at 3 p.m. after taking the oath to respect the Constitution before Congress.
A minute of silence should be observed in Congress in tribute to Brazilian football legend Pelé, who died of cancer on Thursday, according to Veja magazine.
Then Lula will head to the Planalto Presidential Palace, an architectural jewel of Oscar Niemeyer, to receive the famous presidential scarf, set with gold and diamonds.
The future First Lady, Rosangela da Silva, known as “Janja”, was the great organizer of the festive aspect of the day, with numerous concerts and an eclectic program, with the drag queen Pabllo Vittar or the living legend of samba Martinho from Vila.
As for Lula, who has only completed his government of 37 ministers in recent days, he will have to tackle a “Herculean task” on Monday, according to his vice-president: the transition team has drawn up a state of very dark places in Brazil after four years of bolsonarism.
“We really have a lot of expectations after these four difficult years, but the Bolsonaro government has left the country in a deplorable situation. It will be really very complicated for Lula, ”said a supporter, Manoel Carlos de Carvalho, 45, from Natal (north-east).