First inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and José Alencar were inaugurated as 35th president of Brazil and 23rd vice president, respectively, on 1 January 2003, in a ceremony held in the National Congress in Brasília, beginning the new Lula administration. In this occasion, it was the first time since redemocratization in 1985 that a president elect by the direct vote delivered the presidential sash to his successor also elected by the direct vote.

Foreign attendance
The following representatives or higher-rank officials attended Lula's inauguration:


 * – President Eduardo Duhalde
 * – President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
 * – MP for Kingston and the Islands and Speaker of the House of Commons Peter Milliken and MP for Edmonton–Strathcoma Rahim Jaffer
 * – President Ricardo Lagos
 * – President Fidel Castro
 * – President-elect Lucio Gutierrez
 * – Secretary of State for Tourism Léon Bertrand
 * – Prime Minister Sam Hinds
 * – Prime Minister Mário Pires
 * – President Joaquim Chissano
 * – President Luis González Macchi
 * – President Alejandro Toledo
 * – President Jorge Sampaio
 * – Heir Prince Felipe VI
 * – Prime Minister Göran Persson
 * – U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs John Maisto and U.S. Senator from Wyoming Mike Enzi
 * – President Jorge Batlle
 * – President Hugo Chávez