Alberto Fernandez has assumed the presidency of Argentina, returning the country to the ranks of left-leaning nations at a moment of right-wing resurgence in the West.
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Fernandez pledged more aid for the poor and warned that the country would be unable to pay all its debts on time.
Taking the vice presidency was Cristina Fernandez, 66, a polarising figure who served as president from 2007 to 2015 and faces several charges of corruption from that time.
Her presence has raised questions about the extent of her influence in the new administration.
Alberto Fernandez, a 60-year-old lawyer from the country's centre-left Peronist movement, faces the immediate challenge of trying to pull Argentina from economic crisis while fulfilling promises of greater social justice.
"'I come before you to call for unity from all Argentina, to build a new social contract of brotherhood and solidarity," Fernandez said in his inaugural address before Congress on Tuesday.
"I come before you calling for all to put Argentina on its feet, to put the country on a path toward development and social justice."
The country has a 35 per cent poverty rate and is struggling to make debt payments on time. The economy is expected to shrink 3 per cent by the end of 2019, with inflation at 55 per cent.
Australian Associated Press
