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oppressive government
apparatus hounded
political opponents. Yet
the Médici administration
cloaked itself in the
green and gold flag when
Brazil won the Jules
Rimet trophy for its third
consecutive victory in
the soccer World Cup in
1970. From 1968 to 1974,
during the darkest days of
dictatorship, the military-
civil alliance took shape
as the economy boomed,
reaching annual GDP growth rates of
12 percent. During this period, the
Trans-Amazon Highway was built,
and the Rio Paraná was dammed.
Geisel's accession in 1974 signaled
a move toward democratic rule. He
attempted to restrain the growing
strength of the opposition parties by
creating an electoral college that
would approve his selected replace-
ment. He allowed the return of exiles,
restored habeas corpus , and installed
General João Figueiredo as his succes-
sor in 1979. A 1981 bombing incident
at Rio City's RioCentro, confirmed
direct military involvement in
terrorism. The Figueiredo regime's
inaction in punishing the guilty
strengthened the public's resolve to
end military rule, as Brazil faced
inflation and mounting foreign debt.
was visible in the
impeachment of the
corrupt de Mello
regime, forcing him to
resign in 1993. The
1994 elections brought
to power Fernando
Cardoso, who served
two terms but failed to
match the growth
of the country's wealth
and power with
better living condi-
tions. Socio-economic
contradictions helped
usher Lula da Silva in 2003 as Brazil's
first elected left-wing president. His
Workers' Party (Partido dos
Trabalhadores) government declined
to nationalize private companies or
collectivize land. This restored
investor confidence in the country
that underwrote strong economic
growth and employment expansion.
Despite an unfulfilled promise of
economic and social revolution, Lula
was re-elected to power in October
2006 and has returned with a strong
mandate to reduce poverty in Brazil.
Brazil's two-term limit for presidents
means Lula cannot stand in 2010.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
victorious after his re-election
THE RETURN TO DEMOCRACY
In 1985, civilian Tancredo Neves was
voted into office as president.
However, he died before taking
office. Brazil completed its transition
to a popularly elected government in
1989, when Fernando Collor de Mello
won 53 percent of the vote. The
democratization of the government
A 1997 demonstration by landless farm workers,
demanding jobs, justice, and land reform
Brazilian President Fernando
Collor de Mello
2008 Brazil appointed as host
country for the 2014 World Cup
2009 Rio announced as host
city for the 2016 Olympics
2001 Congress approves a
civil code, giving equal rights
to men and women
1995 Fernando
Cardoso takes office
as president
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2002 Brazil
wins its fifth
World Cup
title defeating
Germany
1994 Brazil
defeats Italy
to win the
World Cup
title
2000 UNESCO
declares the Atlantic
rainforest a World
Heritage Site
2006 Lula da Silva is
re-elected in a landslide
victory, returning as
Brazil's president
 
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