The inauguration of the president of Brazil is composed of several ceremonies that happen in the same day. Through democratic elections or coups, resignations and deaths, presidential inaugurations have been important events in Brazilian history.
Ceremonies The only required part of the inauguration ceremonies, according to Brazil's Federal Constitution, is the taking of the constitutional oath of office before a joint session of the National Congress. However, other ceremonies, such as a parade leading up to the arrival of the president-elect in Congress, the transfer of the presidential sash from the former president to the new holder of the office, and a presidential reception at night also take place in the case of planned inaugurations.
In the case of non-planned inauguration ceremonies (such as those that take place as a result of the death or resignation of a president), the non essential festivities, including the investiture with the presidential sash, do not take place: in those cases, the inauguration of the new president consists only of the joint session of Congress, during which the new president takes the constitutional oath.
The ceremonies described below are those observed for planned inaugurations since Brasília became the federal capital.
Inaugural parade The president-elect and the vice-president elect ride to Congress, where they are to take the oath of office, in a ceremonial parade.
The inauguration parade starts at the Cathedral of Brasília, located at the beginning of Ministries Esplanade. In front of the Cathedral, the president-elect and vice-president-elect take the presidential Rolls-Royce and proceed in parade down the Ministries Esplanade to the National Congress, while escorted by the Independence Dragoons.
A number of presidents-elect have chosen to attend Mass at the Cathedral of Brasília before the start of the inaugural ceremonies. In that case, a Solemn Mass is scheduled to take place in the Cathedral before the time set for the beginning of the State-sponsored inauguration ceremonies. The president-elect then hears Mass and leaves the Cathedral at or around the time scheduled for the start of the inauguration parade.
Other presidents-elect have chosen not to attend Solemn Mass in the Cathedral before the inauguration ceremonies (some have attended no religious service at all, and others, while still attending Mass, opted for a private celebration in the morning of inauguration day instead of a major event in the Cathedral): in that case, instead of proceeding to the Parade from the Cathedral, they simply arrive in front of the Cathedral in their private cars, and at that point enter the presidential State Car for the start of the Parade.
During the parade, the Ceremonial State Cars carrying the president elect and their spouse, the vice-president-elect and their spouse are flanked by a formation of Dragoons from the presidential guard of honor. However, except in the case of a re-elected president and vice-president, the flagpoles in the Ceremonial State Cars (that usually bear the national flag and the presidential or vice-presidential standard) remain empty during that part of the ceremonies, as those being transported are not yet president and vice-president. The parade ends at foot of the entrance ramp to the Palace of Congress.
Oath of office before a joint session of Congress Arriving at the National Congress, the president and vice-president elect are greeted by the president of the Senate (the upper house; the president of the Senate is ex officio the president of Congress, and in that capacity chairs all joint sessions) and the president of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house). Inside the Palace of Congress, a joint session of Congress takes place. The center seat of Congress' directing board's table is taken by the president of Congress. The president-elect of the Republic is seated at the right hand side of the president of Congress, and the vice president-elect of the Republic seats at the president of Congress's left hand side. Also present at the table together with the members of Congress' directing board, are the president of the Chamber of Deputies, who sits to the right of the president-elect, and the president of the Supreme Federal Court, who sits to the left of the vice president elect. Although the president of the Supreme Court is not a member of Congress, he is invited to the table to witness the act. Other members of Congress' directing board (the vice-presidents and secretaries of Congress) take the remaining seats at the table, to the right of the president of the Chamber of Deputies, and to the left of the president of the Supreme Court.
During the joint session, the president of Congress states the purpose of the meeting and acknowledges the receipt of the diplomas of election of the president-elect and of the Vice president-elect, issued by the Superior Electoral Court. All those present are then asked to stand, and the president-elect and the Vice president-elect are successively invited to take the constitutional oath. The president-elect and vice-president-elect take their oaths of office, and each oath is followed by applause. At that time, immediately upon taking the oaths, they become president and vice-president of the Republic. As soon as the constitutional oaths are taken before the assembled Congress by both the president and the vice-president, the new office holders are declared by the president of Congress to be invested in the Presidency and the Vice Presidency of the Republic. Normally, the national anthem is played at this point by a band of the Brazilian Navy Marine Corps, as soon as the oaths are taken and the declarative announcement by the president of Congress is made, and in military language the anthem is said to be played "in salute to the President of the Republic" (em continência ao Presidente da República). In some inaugural ceremonies, however, such as Dilma Rousseff's second inauguration in 2015, the National Anthem was not played at this point of the proceedings, being instead played at the beginning of the Congressional ceremony (in that case, the president of Congress invites those present to hear the National Anthem as soon as the joint session of Congress is declared open). Once the National Anthem ends (if it is played after the oaths of office and the declarative announcement of investiture), one of the Secretaries of Congress reads out the instrument recording the oaths taken and the investiture of the president and vice-president in their offices. If the National Anthem is played at the beginning of the joint session, then, immediately after the oaths of office and the declarative announcement by the president of Congress, the instrument recording the investiture is read out. That instrument, a proces-verbal of the constitutionally essential part of the inauguration ceremonies, is written in a special investiture book recording the investiture of all presidents and vice-presidents. Once the reading of this document finishes, the new president and the new vice-president then sign the instrument recording their investiture, and the document is also signed by the president of Congress, the president of the Chamber of Deputies and other members of Congress' directing board. The document is also signed by the president of the Supreme Federal Court. Once that deed is signed by all who are to sign it, the president of Congress then invites the president of the Republic to address the joint session. The president's inaugural address is given at this point (the president speaks standing, but from his place at the table), and the inaugural address is followed by a short speech by the president of Congress, who then finishes thanking the foreign heads of state, heads of government, Ministers of Foreign Relations and other special envoys for their presence, and also acknowledges and thanks for their presence the members of the diplomatic corps (usually saluted in the person of the Apostolic Nuncio, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps), the governors of States, the governor of the Federal District, judicial, civil and military authorities, as well as religious representatives, and after those thanks the president of Congress closes the proceedings of the joint session.
The inaugural address of the president of the Republic and the concluding speech by the president of Congress are only delivered in the case of planned inaugurations. In the case of a non-planned inauguration, the president of Congress closes the joint session as soon as the instrument recording the investiture of the president and the oath taken has been read out and signed.
Once the joint session of Congress is closed, the congressional leaders then escort the new president and the new vice-president from the Chamber and accompany them to the front ramp of the Palace of Congress.
Military review in front of the Palace of Congress Once the president emerges from the National Congress, he pauses at the top of the front ramp of that palace, and, upon sight of the new head of state, a 21-gun salute is immediately fired by the Cayenne Battery. During the firing of the salute, the National Anthem is again played. A brief military ceremony then takes place outdoors.
As the president is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, he is received at the doors of the National Congress by the Presidential Guard Battalion of the Army, and by Navy and Air Force troops presenting arms.
The president then reviews the troops and salutes their colours. After that, the president and the vice-president take the ceremonial state cars to the Planalto Palace, the seat of the presidency of the Republic. While, except in the case of a re-elected president, on the parade leading up to Congress the car flagpoles were empty, the car flagpoles now display the national flag and the presidential standard or vice-presidential standard.
Ceremonies at the Planalto Palace
Arriving at the Planalto Palace, the new president and vice-president pause at the foot of the Palace's entrance ramp (only used in state ceremonies), while a military band of the presidential guard plays the Presidential Salute (consisting of the initial and final bars of the Brazilian National Anthem). Once the salute is given, the new president and vice-president ascend the entrance ramp, and are greeted at its top by the former president and by the former vice-president. Troops of the 1st Guards Cavalry Regiment, forming a guard of honour, are lined at both sides of the entrance ramp during the entire ceremony. This is the first time the new president and his predecessor meet during the inaugural ceremonies, since the former president and vice-president take no part in the preceding stages of the inaugural solemnities. The new president and the former president, followed by the new and former vice-presidents, then go side by side to the spot where the ceremony of the transfer of the presidential sash is to take place. The former president uses the sash up to the moment when he places it on the shoulder of the new president.