President Dilma Rousseff: "Poverty still exists and this is a shame on our country"
Monday 3 January 2011
Rousseff becomes Brazil president
Brazil's first woman President, Dilma Rousseff, has been sworn into office.
She took over from her mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who stepped down after two terms as the most popular president in the country's history.
After taking the oath of office, Ms Rousseff promised in a speech to protect the most vulnerable in Brazilian society and govern for all.
She also vowed to consolidate the work of her predecessor, who she said had changed the way Brazil was governed.
Brazil's economy has grown strongly in recent years, but it remains one of the most unequal societies in the world.
Ms Rousseff was appointed energy minister in President Lula's government in 2003 and served as his chief of staff from 2005 to 2010.
She was elected in October, defeating the opposition candidate Jose Serra by 56% to 44% in a run-off vote.
She is known to favour a strong state role in strategic areas, including banking, the oil industry and energy.
Ms Rousseff's inauguration ceremony at the Brazilian Congress began with a ride through the capital, Brasilia, in a Rolls Royce.
After swearing the oath of office, Ms Rousseff began her first speech to the nation by noting that this was the first time in Brazil that the role of president had been given to a woman.
Rain prevented the roof of Ms Rousseff's open-top Rolls Royce from being opened "I know the historical significance of this decision," she said to widespread applause. "Today, all Brazilian women should feel proud and happy."
Ms Rousseff then promised to protect the most vulnerable in society and "govern for all".
She also vowed to consolidate the work of her predecessor, who she described as a "great man" who had changed the way the country was governed and encouraged Brazilians to trust in the future of their country.
"The best homage that I can give to him is to continue the progress made by his government, and invest in the strength of the people," she added. "This has been the best lesson that President Lula has given all of us."
Ms Rousseff singled out his work over the last eight years to reduce poverty and promote economic prosperity.
"The most determined struggle will be to eradicate extreme poverty," she said. "We can be a more developed and fairer country."
She also outlined her plans for tax reforms, environmental protection, improved health services, regional development, and measures to protect the economy from foreign "speculation".
She will later join Mr Lula at the presidential palace, where he will drape her in the green-and-gold Brazilian sash of office.
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Ms Rousseff, a former Marxist rebel who was imprisoned for three years in the early 1970s for resisting military rule, has promised to protect freedom of expression and worship, and to honour the constitution.
The BBC's Paulo Cabral, in Brasilia, says Ms Rousseff faces significant challenges, public health, education and improving the country's infrastructure.
Brazil's economy is estimated to have grown by 8% in 2010. However, the currency, the real, has risen so high that it is now making Brazil's exports less competitive.
During his two terms as president from 2002, 30 million people were lifted out of poverty - a major reason for his status as Brazil's most popular president, our correspondent says.
During President Rousseff's term, Brazil will host the Rio Plus 20 global environmental summit in 2012; the Fifa World Cup in 2014; and the Summer Olympics in 2016.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-latin-america-12103312
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