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Jair Bolsonaro, President of the United Nations, President of the United Nations
His left-wing rival immediately moved to a vigorous opposition, while he was still in a state of war.
That juxtaposition underscored the reality that the end of the election was the end of the acrimony and that myriad challenges lay ahead for Latin America's largest nation.
Sunday night, saying he would "pacify" Brazil following a race that revealed deep divisions and was repeatedly marred by violence. The candidate was stabbed and almost died while campaigning in early September, and there were many reports of politically motivated violence, especially directed at gay people.
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"This country belongs to all of us, Brazilians by birth or by heart, to Brazil of various opinions, colors and orientations," he said, reading off a sheet of paper in a live television address.
His victory moved Brazil, the world's fourth-largest democracy, sharply to the right after the elections Workers in the Party won.
Like other right-leaning leaders who have risen to power around the globe, Bolsonaro built his popularity on a mixture of tough talk and hardline positions. And, like many, he is sure to face stiff push back from the groups concerned.
Bolsonaro spent much of the campaign exploiting divisions, taking over the rival Workers' Party as unethical and dangerous. In recent weeks, Brazilians have been bombarded with WhatsApp messages that condemned Workers' Party candidate Fernando Haddad, often making outrageous claims.
Ultimately, Bolsonaro's messages resonated with Brazilians for change: He got just over 55 percent of the votes Sunday, compared to 45 percent for Haddad.
Haddad promised to fight while saying he would respect the country's institutions.
"We have the responsibility to mount an opposition, putting national interests, the interests of the entire Brazilian people, above everything," Haddad said in a speech to supporters. "Brazil has never been in need of more than right now."
In a sign of how tense the race got, Haddad did not congratulate Bolsonaro, whom he had accused of spreading about his family.
Amid the celebrations by Bolsonaro's supporters, there were also reports of some clashes between his backers and opponents.
The rise of Bolsonaro, who is a political outsider despite a lackluster 27-year career in Congress, parallels the emergence of hard-right leaders in many countries. But his extreme messages were rendered more palatable by a perfect storm in Brazil: widespread anger at the political clbad after years of corruption, an economy that has struggled to recover from a recession and a surge in violence.
In particular, many Brazilians have been furious with the Workers' Party for its role in the investigation of the Operation Car Wash "investigation, which uncovered billions of dollars in bribes paid to politicians via inflated construction contracts.
Haddad struggled to build momentum with his promises of a return to the boom times by investing in health and education and reducing poverty. It was a party of the President, who was President Luiz Inacio da Silva, who served a 12-year sentence for a corruption conviction.
Bolsonaro's candidacy raised serious concerns that it would roll back civil rights and weaken institutions in what remains a young democracy. He has frequently disappeared women, gays and blacks, and said he would be named to his cabinet.
Within minutes of the term, the international civil rights group. Human Rights Watch called on Brazil's judiciary and other institutions to "resist any attempt to undermine human rights, the rule of law and democracy under Jair Bolsonaro's government."
Steve Schwartzman of the Environmental Defense Fund warned that Bolsonaro's promises to be "dangerous to the planet."
Bolsonaro has repeatedly said he would pull Brazil from the Paris agreement on climate change, though last week he backed off on that. He has also promised to cut environmental regulations and make Brazil friendlier to international investors.
The past few years in Brazil have been exceptionally turbulent. In 2016, then-President Dilma Rousseff of the Workers' Party was impeached and removed from office on the grounds that they were politically motivated. The economy suffered a two-year recession and is only now beginning to emerge, with growth stagnant and unemployment high.
Dozens of politicians and executives have been jailed in the corruption investigation.
Many observers had predicted a newcomer would emerge to harness the anti-establishment anger. Instead, support coalesced around Bolsonaro, who at the margins in Congress painted himself as a strong man.
Bolsonaro has promised to crack down on violent crime and drastically reduce the size of Brazil's state. But many of the details of his positions remain unclear since he has blasted his campaign via blasts on social media. After he was stabbed, he declined to debate.
"Tomorrow we start a new country," said Mario Marcondes, a 61-year-old pilot who gathered with other supporters outside Bolsonaro's house. "This was a soccer game, a dispute that is over.
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