Republicans (Brazil)

The party was founded in August 2005 as the Municipalist Renovator Party by pastors of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.[8] Lula's Vice President José Alencar moved to PRB on 2005 after leaving the Liberal Party.[9] In March 2006, the party was renamed the Brazilian Republican Party.

The Brazilian Republican Party first fought against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, then rallied behind him after his re-election in 2006. According to one study, the PRB has been supportive of the Lula da Silva and Rousseff presidencies “on the basis of their concern for social democracy and for eliminating inequality.”[10] However, later PRB started to join the new rising wave conservativism and anti-petism[11][12] in Brazil and all of the PRB's deputies voted in favor of Dilma's impeachment.

They then supported the government of Michel Temer. In the 2018 presidential election, the Brazilian Republican Party supports the candidate of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, Geraldo Alckmin. Currently the party supports President Jair Bolsonaro,[11] joining him due strong ideological affinity.[11] For the 2022 Brazilian general election, the Republicans formed a coalition with the Liberal Party (PL) and the Progressives (PP) in order to support Jair Bolsonaro's 2022 presidential campaign.[13][14] Candidates launched by the Republicans had their image heavily associated and sometimes were endorsed by Bolsonaro.

In August 2019, the Brazilian Republican Party changed its name into Republicanos.[6] Justifying as "the name change reinforces the reformulation of the party's program and statute, “consolidating the position as a party conservative in customs and liberal in the economy”,[1] seeking to emulate the American Republican Party.[15] The name change came with an manifesto adopting a resolute socially conservative position defending christian values, the traditional family and private property.[12]

The party leader as of 2015 was Vitor Paulo dos Santos.

The party's most important members are Bishop Marcelo Crivella, Rio de Janeiro senator and nephew of Universal's founder Bishop Edir Macedo, journalist Celso Russomanno[16] and former Vice-President José Alencar. Famous football player Ronaldinho, also known as Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, joined the party in March 2018.[17]

In 2022, it had 495,136 members.[18]

In 2012, 80% of the members were Catholic, 20% evangelical, including 6 from the universal Church.[19]

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Conservatism in Brazil
Ideologies Bolsonarism Coronelism Integralism Janismo Monarchism Patrianovism Nationalism Populism
Themes Agrarianism Anti-communism Authority Catholicism Family values Federalism Gun rights Law and order Militarism Patriotism Traditionalism
Intellectuals Campos Carpeaux Carvalho Corção Corrêa de Oliveira Francis Freyre Lacombe Léo Mourão Oliveira Lima Oliveira Torres Paulo Ricardo Pinto Reale Rodríguez dos Santos Silva Simonsen Tolentino
Politicians Andrada e Silva Araújo Lima Bolsonaro Carneiro Ferreira Fidelix Lacerda Maluf Nabuco dos Santos Winter Zambelli
Parties Active Brazil Union Brazilian Labour Party Brazilian Labour Renewal Party Brazilian Woman's Party Christian Democracy Liberal Party Patriota Progressistas Republicans Social Christian Party Former Alliance for Brazil Brazilian Integralist Action Conservative Party Conservative Republican Party Democrats Fluminense Republican Party
Organisations Evangelical Caucus União Democrática Ruralista
Media Gazeta do Povo O Tempo
Related topics BBB Bench Bolsominion Brazil above everything, God above everyone Colonial Brazil Empire of Brazil Free Brazil Movement
Conservatism portal  Brazil portal

The party defines itself as "Socially conservative but economically liberal", defending christian values, the traditional family and private property.[12] The party aligned itself with Jair Bolsonaro during his government from 2018 to 2022.[14]

Some commentators say that the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), a neo-charismatic church that is organized like a business enterprise, has used the party as a base for its bishops to run for political office. The emeritus professor of political sciences from the University of Brasília, David Fleischer, says: "The PRB is an evangelical party."[7] Several members, such as Celso Russomanno,[16] are Catholic. Several leading members, such as Edir Macedo and Marcelo Crivella, have expressed statements of Christian fundamentalism and religious intolerance. A UN report accused members of the UCKG of verbal and physical attacks on members of the Umbanda and Candomblé religions.[20] Macedo considered participating in presidential elections in order to transform Brazil into a theocratic state.[20]

As mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Crivella called the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro an "un-Christian excess" and ordered severe financial cuts for the organisers.[21] Furthermore, he is known for statements of religious intolerance. In his 1999 book Evangelizing Africa, he claimed that homosexuality is a "terrible evil," that Catholics are "demonic", that African religions are based on "evil spirits," and that Hindus drink their children's blood.[22][23] He has since tried to distance himself from the book, saying that it was the work of a young, immature missionary.[22]

• Republicanos 10 | Portal de Notícias Oficial, Official website