Brazil’s first female President, Dilma Rousseff has been sworn into office. At her swearing in, President Rousseff said:

“I know the historical significance of this decision. Today, all Brazilian women should feel proud and happy.”

Rousseff, a former Marxist guerilla who was imprisoned and tortured during Brazil’s long dictatorship for her involvement in a series of bank robberies in the 1970s, said at her 40-minute inauguration speech, “That at times this tough path made me value and love life much more. It gave me, more than anything else, courage to confront even bigger challenges. It’s with this courage that I’m going to govern Brazil.”

Rousseff has appointed nine women to her cabinet of 37 ministers - a record for Brazil, and traveled to the event in a Rolls Royce surrounded by female security guards - another first - she also said:

““The most determined struggle will be to eradicate extreme poverty. We can be a more developed and fairer country.
I will not rest while there are Brazilians without food on their table, homeless in the streets, and poor children abandoned to their luck.”

The new President gave support to “the ‘free press’ than the silence of the dictatorship.”

“I come to open doors for many other women can be presidents.

I come not to praise my biography. My commitment is to protect the weak, and govern for all.

We are experiencing the awakening of a new Brazil; innovation will be a key tool to be competitive in international markets”.

The destiny of a country depends not only on its government but of all people who live in it, I’ll be with everyone.

I extend my hand to the opposition parties. From now on I am the president of all Brazilians.”

 
With thanks to Danielle Delgado