ASSESSMENTS

2018: The Year Bolsonaro Captured Brazil's Presidency

Dec 26, 2018 | 07:30 GMT

Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) and Defense Minister General Joaquim Silva e Luna attend the launch ceremony of the Brazilian Riachuelo Class Submarine at a navy base in Itaguai city, Rio de Janeiro state, on Dec. 14, 2018.

Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) and Defense Minister General Joaquim Silva e Luna attend the launch ceremony of the Brazilian Riachuelo Class Submarine at a navy base in Itaguai city, Rio de Janeiro state, on Dec. 14, 2018. After defeating all comers, Bolsonaro will take charge of Latin America's largest country on Jan. 1, 2019.

(MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP/Getty Images)

The first day of 2019 will bring a titanic change to Brazilian politics as Jair Bolsonaro, a former military officer and political outsider, assumes the presidency. Bolsonaro cruised to victory in October elections, as many Brazilians responded favorably to his campaign promises to get tough on crime and corruption. At the same time, his victory has struck fear into many in the country due to his praise of the military dictatorship in the 1960s and 1970s, his rhetoric toward the LGBT community, his suggestion that leftist rivals can either "go overseas or go to jail" and his priority for agricultural production over environmental protection. As Brazil embarks upon an era like no other, we look back at some of the major milestones from Bolsonaro's path to the presidency, as well as his plans for the country....

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