Fernando Lugo, a leftwing former bishop, was sworn in on Friday as president of Paraguay. He promised to “work, work, work” to fight poverty, create jobs and restore credibility after 61 years of one-party rule that have turned his country into one of the most corrupt in the western hemisphere.

Wearing a white shirt and his trademark sandals, the 57-year-old, dubbed the “bishop of the poor”, donned the red, white and blue presidential sash before breaking into a grin and flashing a thumbs-up sign to a crowd of thousands of cheering supporters.