Brazil's President-Elect Pledges Unity, Austerity, Growth

(Bloomberg) -- Brazil’s President-elect Jair Bolsonaro pledged on Sunday to unify Latin America’s largest nation, downsize the government, and shift foreign policy toward advanced countries.

Bolsonaro beat his leftist rival Fernando Haddad with 55 percent against 45 percent after a highly divisive campaign that saw former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrested, Bolsonaro stabbed and isolated cases of violence emerge.

He gave his acceptance speech in Rio de Janeiro after participating in a prayer broadcast live on national television. Here are some of the main points he made:

* Pledges to pacify country, govern for all, run a clean administration
"We are all a single nation, a democratic nation."
* Says will cut the size of the state, cut red tape, reduce government spending
* "We will break the vicious cycle of growing debt. Substitute it by the virtuous cycle of smaller deficits, falling debt, and lower interest rates."
"The primary budget deficit needs to be eliminated as fast as possible."
* Says Brazil is a place of many religions and races
"Our government will break paradigms."
* Will redirect foreign policy toward developed nations
* Priorities are to create jobs, generate income and balance the budget
* Says already has 3 cabinet names and will appoint the rest with caution
* "What happened today at the polls wasn’t the victory of a party but the celebration of a country for liberty."
"Liberty is a fundamental principle. Liberty to walk freely in the streets throughout this country. Political and religious freedom. Liberty to inform and have opinions."
"As a defender of liberty I will guide a government that defends and protects the rights of the citizens that fulfills its duties and respects its citizens."
* Pledges constitutional and democratic government

To contact the reporter on this story: Raymond Colitt in Brasilia at rcolitt@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Vivianne Rodrigues at vrodrigues3@bloomberg.net

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