Benedict (Viktor) Gombocz

Politics of Brazil

Geography of Brazil Location: Eastern South America, bordering

the Atlantic Ocean, between Guyana and Colombia

Area: Total: 8,514,877 sq km Country comparison to the world: 5 Land: 8,459,417 sq km Water: 55,460 sq km note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de

Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo

Area – comparative: Slightly smaller than the U.S.

Land boundaries: Total: 16,885 km Border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia

3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km

Coastline: 7,491 km

Physical Map of Brazil

Religion in Brazil Religion in Brazil has a higher level of devotion

in comparison to other Latin American nations, and is more varied.

Brazil is rich in spiritual society, created as a result of the Roman Catholic Church’s meeting with the religious customs of African slaves and native tribes; this convergence of faiths in the Portuguese colonization of Brazil brought about the development of a various group of syncretistic practices within the overarching umbrella of Brazilian Roman Catholicism, distinguished by customary Portuguese festivities.

Catholicism was until recent times overwhelmingly prevailing.

Rapid change seen in the 21st century has caused an increase in secularism (no religious affiliation) and Evangelical Protestantism to more than 22% of the population.

The 2010 census revealed that less than 65% of Brazilians regard themselves as Catholic, a significant decline from 90% in 1970, leading Cardinal Cláudio Hummes to remark “We wonder with anxiety: How long will Brazil remain a Catholic country?”

Religion statistics Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6% Protestant 15.4% Spiritualist 1.3% Bantu/voodoo 0.3% Other 1.8% Unspecified 0.2% None 7.4% (2000 census)

Brazil’s politics function in a structure of a federal presidential democratic republic; the President is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party structure.

Brazil’s political and administrative organization consist of the federal government, the states, the federal district, and the municipalities.

The federal government exercises control over the central government and is split into three independent branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The President, guided by a cabinet, exercises executive authority. Legislative power is vested upon the National Congress, a two-chamber

legislature consisting of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The judiciary, comprising the Supreme Federal Court, the Superior Court of

Justice and other Superior Courts, such as the National Justice Council and the Regional Federal Courts.

Brazil’s political system: Introduction

Government of Brazil Capital: Brasília

Largest city: São Paulo Official languages: Portuguese Demonym: Brazilian Government: Federal presidential

constitutional republic President: Dilma Rousseff (PT) Vice President: Michel Temer (PMDB) President of the Chamber of Deputies:

Henrique Eduardo Alves (PMDB) President of the Senate: Renan

Calheiros (PMDB) President of the Supreme Federal

Court: Joaquim Barbosa Legislature: National Congress Upper house: Federal Senate Lower house: Chamber of Deputies

Dilma Rousseff Born in Belo Horizonte on 14 December 1947. 36th and current President of Brazil since 1 January 2011; is the first

woman to occupy the post. Previously served as the Chief of Staff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da

Silva from 2005-2010. Daughter of a Bulgarian industrialist; was raised in an upper middle

class house in Belo Horizonte. Became a socialist during her childhood; was recruited by several left-

wing and Marxist urban guerilla groups that fought in opposition to the military dictatorship after the 1964 coup d'état.

Was eventually detained and jailed between 1970-1972, during which she was allegedly tormented.

Remade her life in Porto Alegre with Carlos Araújo following her discharge; he would be her partner for 30 years.

Was a co-founder of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT) in Rio Grande do Sul; took part in a number of the party’s electoral campaigns.

Became the Secretary of the Treasury of the City of Porto Alegre in the Alceu Collares Administration, and subsequently the Secretary of Energy of the State of Rio Grande do Sul under both the Collares and Olívio Dutra administrations.

Left the PDT in 2000 and joined the Workers’ Party (PT) after an interior quarrel in the Dutra cabinet.

In 2002, she Joined the commission liable for the energy policy of presidential nominee Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who upon his victory in the election, invited her to become Minister of Energy.

A political disaster caused by a bribery scandal led to Chief of Staff José Dirceu’s resignation in 2005; Rousseff assumed the post, and remained in office until 31 March 2010, when she stepped down to run for President.

Was elected in a run-off round on 31 October 2010.

Michel Temer Born in Tietê, São Paulo, on 23 September

1940. 25th and current VP of Brazil since 1

January 2011; assumed office after standing as the running mate of Workers’ Party nominee Dilma Rousseff in the 2010 election.

Also serves as the President of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, but is currently disqualified from that office to follow Brazilian Law and to execute his responsibilites as VP.

Previously served for six consecutive terms as Federal Deputy for the state of São Paulo in the Chamber of Deputies; served three different terms as President of the Chamber (1997-1998, 1999-2000, and 2009-2010).

Was also a member of the 1988 National Constituent Assembly, which published the current Constitution of Brazil.

Henrique Eduardo Alves President of the Chamber of

Deputies of Brazil since 4 February 2013.

Renan Calheiros Born in Murici, Alagoas, on 16 September 1955. Current President of the Senate of Brazil; he is in his third term. Represents the state of Alagoas in the senate for the Brazilian

Democratic Movement Party. Was accused by Veja magazine, on 25 May 2007, of accepting funds

from a lobbyist to pay for the child support of a daughter from a former extramarital affair with journalist Monica Veloso.

In attempting to defend the source of the funds, later examinations on his company dealings brought about other disclosures about income tax scam and the use of a proxy to purchase a stake in a radio station.

Was subject to a penalizing investigation by the senate’s ethics commission on four different charges.

On 12 September 2007, the senate voted through secret ballot against impeaching him on the lobby funds charge, even though he is still facing three different inquisitions on other accusations.

Subsequent to the vote, the public anger which followed made Congress to do away with secret ballot votes for ethnics infringement, meaning his three other inquisitions, if approved by the ethnic commission, will be subject to an open ballot vote in the senate floor.

Resigned as President of the Senate on 11 October 2007; took a 45-day leave of absence from that post.

The ethics inquiries will carry on through the senate commissions. Worked for both the Fernando Collor de Mello and Fernando

Henrique Cardoso governments. Was again elected President of the Brazilian Senate on 1 February

2013. Due to the above listed claims, many Brazilians were disappointed by

his election and some began an online petition for his impeachment; from February 2013, it was signed by over 1.3 million Brazilians.

Joaquim Barbosa Born in Paracatu, Minas Gerais, on 7 October 1954. Justice minister of the Supreme Federal Court of

Brazil since 25 June 2003 and current Chief Justice of Brazil since 17 November 2012.

Even though many people think he is the first black descendant to become justice minister in the Brazilian Supreme Court, he is in fact the third one; he was preceded by:

Hermenegildo de Barros (from 1919-1937) Pedro Lessa (from 1907-1921)

In contrast, Brazil does not use the “one-drop rule”, or “one black ancestor rule”; for that reason, in this nation, he is regarded as the first black just minister to serve in Brazil’s Supreme Court.

Studied law at the University of Brasília (1979). Has a Master (1990) and a Doctor (1993) of Laws

from DEA – Droit Public Interne – Pantheon-Assas University.

Was a member of the Federal Public Ministry and Adjunct Professor at Rio de Janeiro State University.

Was also a visiting scholar at the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School in New York (1999-2000) and at UCLA School of Law (2002-2003).

Brasília

São Paulo

The End (a extremidade)