Communist Party of Brazil

The Communist Party of Brazil originated from a splinter group from the earlier Brazilian Communist Party. Two years after the party was formed, the dictator of Brazil was over thrown by a US backed coup. The previous dictator was part of the centrist Brazilian Labour Party. The new government that was put into power by America proceeded to issue a declaration dissolving all other political parties.

Battle With the Military
Dictator Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco had officially dissolved all other political parties, but the small Communist party gained a surge in membership due to a backlash in Brazilian public opinion. This was indirectly aimed against the United States of America, who supported the new Brazilian dictatorship because of its hostility to the USSR. Brazilians were becoming increasingly radical after years of right wing dictatorships.

The Communists fought a battle against military forces which only ended after thousands of deaths on both sides as well as civilian losses. Starting in 1979 the government began a move towards Democracy again and in 1984 this was complete.

Modern era
Today the Communist Party of Brazil is smaller in size but does manage some success at the national level. It has 240,000 members and is legally recognized by the government as legitimate. It is in coalition with the current ruling party of Brazil, the Worker's Party. It has 13 members in the Chamber of Deputies and one in the senate after the 2006 elections.

Source/More Reading

 * | Party Website


 * | Some texts in English


 * | Manifesto of the Party