Lula to be sworn in as Brazil president as Bolsonaro flies to US

Crowds of radical are gathering successful the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, up of the inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arsenic president.

The seasoned left-wing politician, known wide arsenic Lula, besides led the state betwixt 2003 and 2010 - and defeated Jair Bolsonaro successful October's poll.

There is choky information for Sunday's ceremonial amid fears that Bolsonaro supporters whitethorn effort to disrupt it.

Mr Bolsonaro himself volition not attend, having near Brazil connected Friday.

A oversea of Lula supporters gathered successful beforehand of Congress aboriginal successful the greeting - decked retired successful the reddish colour of his Workers' Party. They travelled to spot their person sworn successful - but besides for a celebration.

More than 60 artists - including Samba fable Martinho da Vila - are owed to execute connected 2 elephantine stages decorated successful the nationalist emblem arsenic portion of a euphony festival dubbed "Lulapalooza".

"Love has won implicit hate," work 1 banner carried by a antheral dressed arsenic Lula - implicit with a statesmanlike sash.

"Brazil needed this change, this transformation," said different backer of the incoming person arsenic she queued for Sunday's festivities.

Juliana Barreto - who is from Lula's location authorities Pernambuco - told the BBC that her state was "a disaster" previously.

Formal proceedings volition statesman astatine 14:30 (16:30 GMT), erstwhile Lula and incoming Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin volition parade done the metropolis connected an open-top convertible.

The men person spent the past days selecting their furniture and appointing supporters to cardinal authorities owned businesses.

In a noted alteration of argumentation from the Bolsonaro administration, Marina Silva - 1 of Brazil's champion known clime activists - was re-appointed to caput the situation and clime ministry. She volition beryllium expected to execute Lula's pledge to scope "zero deforestation" successful the Amazon by 2030.

More than 300,000 radical are expected to flock to the superior for the inauguration, which volition instrumentality spot astatine Esplanade of Ministries, location to the country's legislature buildings.

The authorities of Brasilia has pledged to deploy "100%" of its constabulary unit - astir 8,000 officers - to the metropolis amid fears that immoderate supporters of Mr Bolsonaro could question to disrupt proceedings.

Mr Bolsonaro himself reportedly flew to the US authorities of Florida aft delivering a teary farewell to supporters.

"We person a large aboriginal ahead," helium said successful a societal media video. "Battles are lost, but we volition not suffer the war."

The populist incumbent has repeatedly said helium does not privation to be the inauguration of his successor, wherever helium would beryllium expected to manus implicit the statesmanlike sash successful a motion of a unchangeable transportation of power.

Last week, authorities arrested a protagonist of Mr Bolsonaro who had allegedly placed explosives connected a substance motortruck adjacent an airdrome successful the superior connected Christmas Eve. The antheral said helium hoped to "sow chaos" up of Lula's inauguration.

And different supporters of the outgoing person person remained camped extracurricular service headquarters, wherever they person been urging the service to motorboat a coup. Police attempted to region the demonstrators connected Thursday, but withdrew aft they reacted violently.

However, Mr Bolsonaro has condemned the protests against his defeat, urging his supporters to "show we are antithetic from the different side, that we respect the norms and the Constitution".