Brazil
Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of the interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil became Latin America's leading economic power by the 1970s. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.
In October 2002, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (known as Lula) was elected president, replacing Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The election marked a return of the left to power, 38 years after a military coup overthrew President Joao Goulart of the Brazilian Labor Party (PTB). Lula was elected with the support of an alliance composed of his own leftist Workers' Party, the PT, the center right Liberal Party, (PL), the National Mobilization Party (PMN), the Popular Socialist Party (PPS, formerly the PCB), and the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB). During his election campaign, Lula promised to lead campaigns against hunger (Zero Hunger Initiative) and for increased social spending in the areas of health, education and public security. Lula implemented tough fiscal policies in his first term, overseeing economic stabilization and falling levels of inflation and foreign debt. He changed the pension system and pushed through a modest increase in the minumum wage. Welfare programs targeted millions of poor families. Yet there was a surge of land invasions by activists frustrated at what they saw as the slow pace of agrarian reform.
In 2005 his popularity was dented by claims of corruption in the ruling party, focusing on a cash-for-votes scheme in Congress. Lula apologized and said he had known nothing about the alleged corruption.
Lula secured a second term in a landslide election victory in October 2006. He promised to boost economic growth and to narrow the gap between rich and poor, but with a weakened presence in congress, his left-wing Workers' Party may have to rely on political alliances to pursue planned tax, social security and political reforms.
Since 1994, as a result of a constitutional amendment which reduced the presidential term to four years, all federal and state elections in Brazil have coincided.
There is no specific risk for foreigners traveling to Brazil. Currently there are no known indigenous terrorist groups operating in Brazil. A non-aligned country with no significant enemies, Brazil is not targeted by any known radical groups. Certain border areas including those in the tri-border region (Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay) are considered porous and could serve as a gateway for extremists bent on attacks on third country nationals.
Political demonstrations occur sporadically in urban areas and may cause temporary disruption to public transportation. In rural areas, the conflict between large landowners and homeless squatters often leads to violent confrontations.
Travelers should note also that crime is a serious concern for both residents and expatriates in Brazil. In cities such as Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo, drug gangs operating in shantytowns often openly challenge police. Crime against tourists and business visitors has become so widespread that ahead of the 2005 Carnival season, Rio authorities appealed to citizens to help protect tourists from robberies and assaults.
Kidnappings also continue to be problematic in Brazil's cities. While most kidnappings are low-key and involve locals and relatively small ransoms, in late 2004, the mother of a prominent soccer star was kidnapped in the town of Santos and in Sao Paulo the son of a union leader was abducted. The cases illustrate that bold kidnap gangs continue to operate, and may be tempted to target potentially lucrative expatriate victims.
Strikes among public and private sector employees across a wide range of industries are common in Brazil (most notably among customs officers and truck drivers), despite recent reductions in interest rates and an increase in the minimum wage. These strikes delay cargo and raise the cost of importing and exporting in Brazil. However, the strikes do not appear to have deterred foreign company involvement in or trade with Brazil.
It is a legal requirement in Brazil to carry evidence of identity at all times. A photocopy of the relevant pages of your passport is acceptable. Because of the risk of mugging, we would advise you to carry a photocopy and not the original document, which you should lock away in a safe place.
