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Brazil

Brazil, 1985 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. An authoritarian military dictatorship emerged in 1964 with support from the United States and ruled until 1985, after which civilian governance resumed. Brazil's current constitution, enacted in 1988, defines it as a democratic federal republic. Brazil is a federation composed of 26 states and a Federal District, which hosts the capital, Brasília.

Seat of power: Brasília

Rulers

José Sarney

President of Brazil, 1985–1990

Neves won the presidential election, but died before taking office, and Sarney became president. Sarney launched the Cruzado Plan with Finance Minister Dilson Funaro, which froze prices in an attempt to curb rising inflation inherited from João Figueiredo's government. Sarney also convened the 1987 National Constituent Assembly, which drafted the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, replacing the 1967 authoritarian constitution.

Portrait of José Sarney: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY 3.0 br, file

Fernando Collor

President of Brazil, 1990–1992

Collor was the first president democratically elected after the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship. He became the youngest president in Brazilian history, taking office at the age of 40. Collor was found guilty by the Senate and disqualified from holding elected office for eight years (1992–2000).

Portrait of Fernando Collor: Ubirajara Dettimar/Presidência da República, CC BY-SA 2.0, file

Itamar Franco

President of Brazil, 1992–1995

After the impeachment of Collor, Itamar temporarily assumed the role of head of state on 2 October 1992 and became President of the Republic on 29 December of that year. During his tenure, the Plano Real was implemented, which controlled inflation and began stabilizing the economy. During his government, a plebiscite was held regarding the form and system of government in Brazil, resulting in the continued existence of the presidential republic in Brazil.

Portrait of Itamar Franco: Getúlio Gurgel, Public domain, file

Fernando Henrique Cardoso

President of Brazil, 1995–2003

He continued the economic reforms that had been initiated by the previous administration, inflation rates remained low, several state-owned companies were privatized, and market liberalization increased the country's visibility in the international market. The government succeeded in passing economic and administrative laws, including one that allowed for the reelection of executive officeholders. He was the first Brazilian president to be reelected for a subsequent term.

Portrait of Fernando Henrique Cardoso: Agência Brasil, CC BY 3.0 br, file

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

President of Brazil, 2003–2011

During his first two consecutive terms in office, he continued fiscal policies and promoted social welfare programs such as Bolsa Família that eventually led to GDP growth, reduction in external debt and inflation, and helping millions of Brazilians escape poverty. During those terms, Lula was considered one of the most popular politicians in Brazil's history and left office with 80% approval rating. His first term was also marked by notable corruption scandals, including the Mensalão vote-buying scandal.

Portrait of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: Ricardo Stuckert/PR, CC BY 2.0, file

Dilma Rousseff

President of Brazil, 2011–2016

She is the only woman to have held the Brazilian presidency to date. In 2014 she won a narrow second-round victory over Aécio Neves, also of the PSDB, to serve her second term as president. On 31 August 2016, the Senate voted 61–20 to convict, finding Rousseff guilty of breaking budgetary laws, and removed her from office.

Portrait of Dilma Rousseff: Roberto Stuckert Filho/Presidência da República, Attribution, file

Michel Temer

President of Brazil, 2016–2019

He took office after the impeachment and removal from office of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff. The Senate's 61–20 vote on 31 August 2016 to remove Rousseff from office meant that Temer succeeded her and served out the remainder of her second term. In his first speech in office, Temer called for a government of "national salvation" and asked for the trust of the Brazilian people.

Portrait of Michel Temer: Beto Barata/PR, CC BY 2.0, file

Jair Bolsonaro

President of Brazil, 2019–2023

He rolled back protections for Indigenous groups in the Amazon rainforest and facilitated its deforestation. Bolsonaro's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil received significant criticism after he sought to downplay the pandemic and its effects, opposed quarantine measures, and dismissed two health ministers, while the death toll increased rapidly. In the 2022 general election Bolsonaro lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Portrait of Jair Bolsonaro: Isac Nóbrega/PR, CC BY 2.0, file

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

President of Brazil, 2023 to today

Sworn in on 1 January 2023 at the age of 77, he became the oldest Brazilian president at time of inauguration, as well as the first to have defeated an incumbent president and to be elected to a third term. During his second presidency, Lula faced the 8 January attacks on federal institutions and advanced some institutional and economic reforms, including the approval of a landmark tax reform and a new fiscal framework.

Portrait of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: Ricardo Stuckert/PR, CC BY 2.0, file

Culture

Picture

The National Congress is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government and is composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

Image: User:User0704, Public domain, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.