Brazil - History
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Photo: Mike Goldwater/Oxfam |
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Pedro Álvares Cabral claimed Brazil for the Portuguese on landing
in 1500. Brazil remained their colony until independence and the
establishment of a monarchy in 1822. Brazil was one of the last
nations to abolish slavery in 1888. The decision was unpopular with
wealthy landowners who relied on slave labour. Dom Pedro II abdicated
in 1889 after the Republican Army challenged the monarchy.
A military coup ended the Republic when in 1930, economic depression
and regional disputes allowed dictator Getulio Vargas to take power.
He ruled with the army’s support until 1945, concentrating
on industrial growth at the expense of social reform. This set a
trend of widening the gap between rich and poor. The military took
over government again in 1964, following civil unrest amongst workers
and further economic problems. Successive regimes of leaders like
Castello Branco brought the economy under control but repressed
the people.
Military rule ended in 1985, and in 1989 Fernando Collor became
Brazil’s first democratically-elected president for 25 years.
Brazil’s poverty, and corruption charges saw Collor replaced
by Vice–President Franco in 1992. Following the successful
launch of his currency plan for the ‘Real’, Fernando Henrique
Cardoso was enthusiastically elected in 1994 and again in 1998.
In 2002, a former shoeshine boy Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - known
as Lula - became the first left-wing president of Brazil in four
decades.
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