The presidency of Jair Bolsonaro started on January 1, 2019, when he was inaugurated as the 38th president of Brazil, and ended on December 31, 2022,[2] with the inauguration of the cabinet of Lula da Silva III on January 1, 2023. He was elected the president of Brazil on October 28, 2018, by obtaining 55.1% of the valid votes in the 2018 Brazilian general election, defeating Fernando Haddad.[3] On October 30, 2022, Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula da Silva.[4] In the years Brazil has been a democracy since 1985, Bolsonaro became the first president to lose an election as an incumbent.[4]
His government was characterized by the strong presence of ministers with a military background, international alignment with the populist right and autocratic leaders,[5][6] and was recognized for his anti-environmental,[7][8]anti-indigenous people[9][10] and pro gun policies.[11][12] He was also responsible for a broad dismantling of cultural,[13][14] scientific and educational government programs,[15][16][17] in addition to promoting repeated attacks on democratic institutions[18][19] and spreading fake news.[20] His government was responsible for a significant reduction in bureaucracy and modernization of public systems, with the fast paced digitization of federal public services, through the creation of the digital platform "gov.br".[21] Bolsonaro also sanctioned the Economic Freedom Act, reducing bureaucracy in economic activities and facilitating the opening and operation of businesses throughout the country, which proved very beneficial, especially for small companies.[22]