RIO DE JANEIRO: The tropical version of Donald Trump has won Brazil's presidential election.
Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right firebrand former Army captain, won in convincing fashion, wooing voters with promises to gut endemic political corruption and wage a brutal battle against powerful drug gangs, reported Reuters.
Bolsonaro, who early in his legislative career declared he was "in favour" of dictatorships and demanded that Congress be disbanded, vowed after his Sunday night win to adhere to democratic principles while holding up a copy of the country's Constitution.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had an "excellent call" congratulating Bolsonaro and tweeted about their plans to "work closely together on Trade, Military and everything else!"
Markets also cheered Bolsonaro's victory, sending Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index to an all-time high on his pledges to balance the federal budget and privatise state firms.
But Bolsonaro's win alarmed critics around the globe, mainly because of his vows to sweep away leftist political opponents and his history of making insulting comments about gays, women and minorities.
The Independent of UK reported that he had twice told a female colleague in Congress she was too “ugly” to be raped.
In an interview with Playboy magazine in 2011, Bolsonaro said that he would prefer that his son be killed in an accident than to show up with a gay partner.
Last year, Bolsonaro derided a black settlement in Brazil founded by the descendants of slaves, saying, “They do nothing. They are not even good for procreation.”
His victory brings Brazil's military back into the political limelight after it spent three decades in the barracks following the country's 1964-1985 dictatorship. Several retired generals will serve as ministers and close advisers, reports Reuters.
An outspoken Trump admirer, Bolsonaro also vowed to realign Brazil with more advanced economies such as the United States.
Bolsonaro joins a list of populist, right-wing figures to win elections in recent years such as Trump, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Trump's friendly congratulatory call augurs closer political ties between the two largest economies in the Americas - both now led by conservative populists promising to overturn the political establishment.
Bolsonaro won 55.2 percent of votes in a run-off election against left-wing hopeful Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party (PT), who garnered 44.8 percent, according to electoral authority TSE.
The 63-year-old congressman's rise has been propelled by rejection of the leftist PT that ran Brazil for 13 of the last 15 years and was ousted two years ago in the midst of a deep recession and political graft scandal.
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters cheered and set off fireworks outside his home in Rio de Janeiro's beachfront Barra de Tijuca neighbourhood as his victory was announced.
Investors also cheered Bolsonaro's ascent, relieved that he could keep the PT out of power and hopeful that he would carry out fiscal reforms proposed by his orthodox economic guru.
He has promised to cut bureaucracy for businesses, reports Reuters.
The real currency has gained about 10 percent against the dollar in the last 30 days as Bolsonaro's prospects of winning increased. Sao Paulo's benchmark Bovespa stock index has risen 13.5 percent since mid September.
Investors are particularly heartened by his choice of Paulo Guedes, a Chicago University-trained economist and investment banker, as his economic guru and future economy minister.
Guedes wants to privatise an array of state enterprises, balance the budget and reduce taxes.
However, Celso Rocha de Barros, a Brazilian political columnist, told the election night webcast of Piauí magazine. “Brazil now has a more extremist president than any democratic country in the world."
Clóvis Saint-Clair, a Rio-based journalist who has written an unauthorised Bolsonaro biography, said he feared Brazil’s young democracy was at risk. as reported in The Guardian.
He expected Bolsonaro to intensify police repression and pay scant attention to Brazil’s neediest citizens.
“If he follows through on all the promises he has made, the next four years will be very difficult for the majority of the population.”