Brazil elects firebrand Bolsonaro in major swing to the right

Far-right firebrand former army captain Jair Bolsonaro has won Brazil’s presidential election in convincing fashion.

Bolsonaro vowed after his Sunday night win to adhere to democratic principles while holding up a copy of the country’s Constitution.

“You are all my witnesses that this government will defend the constitution, of liberty and of God,” Bolsonaro said in a Facebook live video in his first comments after his victory, reports Reuters.

An outspoken admirer of US President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro also pledged to realign Brazil with more advanced economies, overhauling diplomatic priorities after nearly a decade and a half of leftist rule.

He clinched the victory through encouraging voters with promises to gut endemic political corruption and wage a brutal battle against powerful drug gangs.