Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil on Sunday after he won 55.1% of the votes, reported The Guardian. Bolsonaro, who some people have dubbed the “Tropical Trump”, will take charge on January 1.

“We will change Brazil’s destiny together,” he said in his victory speech, which was broadcast live on Facebook from his home, according to AFP. He avoided a traditional press conference due to security concerns after he was stabbed in the stomach at a rally on September 6.

Bolsonaro, who is a former army captain, is a supporter of the 1964-1985 military dictatorship, a period when hundreds of political opponents were murdered by the state and thousands more tortured, reported Al Jazeera. He has also made several remarks that were deemed misogynist, racist and homophobic.

“We cannot continue flirting with socialism, communism, populism and the extremism of the left,” he said, adding that he pledged to govern “following the Bible and the constitution”. Bolsonaro said United States President Donald Trump called to congratulate him on his victory in what he called “obviously a very friendly contact”.

Thousands of supporters were out on the streets outside Bolsonaro’s home in Rio de Janeiro, waving Brazilian flags and lighting fireworks. In Sao Paulo, supporters gathered with flags and banners that read Bolsonaro’s “Brazil above everything, God above everyone” slogan.

Bolsonaro’s rival Fernando Haddad of the Workers’ Party secured 44.8% of votes. Haddad said he will fight to “defend the freedoms of those 45 million people” who voted for him after Bolsonaro vowed to “cleanse” Brazil of leftist “reds.”

The Workers’ Party won the last four elections in Brazil, with its founder Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva being the frontrunner this year. In September, a Brazilian court barred da Silva from running in the elections after he was convicted of corruption and money laundering.