Fernando Collor de Mello facts for kids
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Fernando Collor de Mello
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Official portrait, 1992
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| 32nd President of Brazil | |
| In office 15 March 1990 – 29 December 1992 Suspended powers and duties 2 October 1992 – 29 December 1992 |
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| Vice President | Itamar Franco |
| Preceded by | José Sarney |
| Succeeded by | Itamar Franco |
| Senator for Alagoas | |
| In office 1 August 2019 – 1 February 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Renilde Bulhões |
| Succeeded by | Renan Filho |
| In office 1 February 2007 – 1 April 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Heloísa Helena |
| Succeeded by | Renilde Bulhões |
| Governor of Alagoas | |
| In office 15 March 1987 – 14 May 1989 |
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| Vice Governor | Moacir de Andrade |
| Preceded by | José Tavares |
| Succeeded by | Moacir de Andrade |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 1 February 1983 – 15 July 1986 |
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| Constituency | Alagoas |
| Mayor of Maceió | |
| In office 1 January 1979 – 1 January 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Dílton Simões |
| Succeeded by | Corinto Campelo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 August 1949 Rio de Janeiro, Federal District, Brazil |
| Political party | PRD (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
See list
ARENA (1979)
PDS (1980–1985) PMDB (1986–1988) PRN (1989–1992) PRTB (1999–2006) PTB (2007–2016) PTC (2016–2019) PROS (2019–2022) PTB (2022–2023) |
| Spouses |
Celi Elisabete Júlia "Lilibeth" Monteiro de Carvalho
(m. 1975; div. 1981)Rosane Brandão Malta
(m. 1981; div. 2005)Caroline Serejo Medeiros
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 5 |
| Parents | Arnon de Melo Leda Collor |
| Residences | Maceió, Alagoas |
| Alma mater | University of Brasília |
| Signature |  |
Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello (born 12 August 1949) is a Brazilian politician. He served as the 32nd president of Brazil from 1990 to 1992. He was the first president chosen by the people after Brazil's military rule ended. Collor became the youngest president in Brazil's history, taking office at age 40. He resigned during an impeachment trial by the Brazilian Senate. After his resignation, the trial continued. He was found guilty and could not hold elected office for eight years (1992–2000). Later, he was cleared of some criminal charges due to a lack of strong evidence.
Fernando Collor comes from a family involved in politics. His father, Arnon de Melo, was a Senator. His mother, Leda Collor, was the daughter of former Labour Minister Lindolfo Collor. The name "Collor" comes from the German surname Köhler.
His time as president included the "Collor Plan" to fix the economy. He also started a program to sell state-owned companies to private owners. He opened Brazil's market to more imports. This greatly affected the car market. The plan was popular at first. However, it made the economic recession worse. Many jobs were lost in 1990. Later, there were accusations of political wrongdoing. These claims involved Collor's treasurer, Paulo César Farias. His own brother, Pedro Collor de Mello, made some of these accusations. This led to an impeachment process. Collor resigned on December 29, 1992. He handed over his position to his vice president, Itamar Franco. This happened just hours before the Federal Senate found him guilty. He lost his political rights for eight years.
During his presidency, he signed the Treaty of Asunción in 1991. This document created the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). He also combined two social security agencies. This created the National Social Security Institute (INSS). He led the "Earth Summit" at ECO-92. He also approved the borders of the Yanomami Indigenous Territory.
After his presidency, Collor served as Senator for Alagoas. He was a Senator from February 2007 to February 2023. He won elections in 2006 and 2014.
Contents
Fernando Collor's Early Life and Career
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Fernando Collor was born on August 12, 1949. His parents were Leda Collor and Arnon de Melo. He grew up in a wealthy family with strong political ties. His father was a governor and later a senator for Alagoas. Fernando has two brothers, Pedro and Leopoldo. He also has two sisters, Ledinha and Ana. His grandfather, Lindolfo Collor, was a descendant of early German immigrants. Fernando was born in Rio de Janeiro. He spent his childhood in Maceió, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília.
Collor studied economic sciences and graduated in 1972. In the same year, he became president of Gazeta de Alagoas. This was a newspaper owned by his family's media company. In 1975, he married his first wife, Celi Elisabete Júlia Monteiro de Carvalho. They had two children together. He married Rosane Malta in 1984. She became the First Lady. They did not have children. In 2006, he married Caroline Medeiros, and they had two children. He also has another child from outside these marriages.
In 1976, Collor became president of the football club Centro Sportivo Alagoano (CSA). He then entered politics. He was appointed mayor of Maceió in 1979. In 1982, he was elected as a federal deputy. Later, in 1986, he was elected governor of Alagoas.
As governor, he became well-known across Brazil. He tried to reduce high salaries for public workers. He called these workers marajás, comparing them to Indian princes who received money from the government. His actions made him very popular. He often appeared on national TV, which was unusual for a governor from a smaller state.
Collor gained national fame as an anti-corruption candidate. However, his career had faced accusations of wrongdoing before. These dated back to his time as mayor of Maceió. When he was a federal deputy, he was not very well-known. He mostly proposed laws that seemed to help his family's businesses.
Presidency (1990–1992)
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In 1989, Collor won a presidential election against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He received 35 million votes. He was the first president of Brazil elected by popular vote in 29 years. When he first became president, he focused on fighting inflation. Inflation sometimes reached 25% each month.
On his first day in office, Collor launched the Plano Collor (Collor Plan). His finance minister, Zélia Cardoso de Mello, put it into action. The plan aimed to reduce the amount of money in circulation. It did this by changing large amounts of money in bank accounts into government bonds. These bonds could not be easily turned into cash. At the same time, more money bills were printed. This was meant to balance the effects and fight hyper-inflation.
Economic Changes: The Collor Plan
Under Zélia, Brazil saw big changes in how the government was run. This included selling state-owned companies and opening the market to international trade. The goal was to modernize industries and control hyper-inflation.
Before Collor took office, hyperinflation was at 90% per month. The "Collor Plan" froze bank accounts with more than 50,000 cruzeiros (about US$500). He also suggested freezing wages and prices. There were also big cuts in government spending. People were not very happy about these measures. However, many felt that strong actions were needed to stop hyperinflation. But after a few months, inflation started to rise again. It reached 10% a month.
During his government, Collor was accused of allowing a scheme where people used their influence for money. These accusations affected his government. They led to a crisis and a loss of trust. This also affected his finance minister, Zélia.
This political crisis made it hard for him to carry out his plans. The first "Collor Plan" was followed by "Plano Collor II." But the government had lost too much trust. The second plan was short-lived and did not work well. The failure of the first plan led to new ministers and a new plan. But it was too late. Collor's government was stuck because of many accusations of wrongdoing.
During the "Collor Plan," yearly inflation dropped from 30,000% in 1990 to 400% in 1991. But then it went back up to 1,020% in 1992. Inflation kept rising to 2,294% in 1994.
Zélia later said that the "Collor Plan" did not end inflation. But she also stated that it helped balance the national debt. This, along with opening the market, set the stage for future economic plans.
Some of Collor's ideas about free trade and selling state companies were continued by later presidents. These included Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Lula da Silva. Collor's government sold 15 different companies. They also started the process of selling others, like Embraer and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce. Some people who worked in Collor's government also worked in later administrations.
A former minister, Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira, said that Collor changed Brazil's political goals. He said Collor made brave and needed changes. He also worked on balancing the government's money. He added that Collor's government challenged old ideas about state control. It brought in new economic plans focused on free trade and selling state companies.
According to Philippe Faucher, a political science professor, the political crisis and high inflation reduced Collor's trust. This led to the impeachment process. The accusations from Collor's brother, Pedro, and other groups also pushed for this.
Achievements and Awards
In 1991, UNICEF recognized three health programs in Brazil. These were programs for community health workers, traditional midwives, and measles eradication. UNICEF called them the best in the world. These programs were supported during Collor's time in office. Before 1989, Brazil's vaccination record was considered the worst in South America. During Collor's presidency, Brazil's vaccination program won a United Nations prize. It was named the best in South America. Collor's project Minha Gente (My People) won a UN award in 1993. It was called "Project Model for Humanity."
Impeachment Process
| Fernando Collor de Mello | |
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Fernando Collor, along with his wife Rosane Malta, leaves the Planalto Palace.
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| Accused | Fernando Collor de Mello, President of Brazil |
| Proponents |
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| Date | 1 September 1992 – 30 December 1992 (3 months, 4 weeks and 1 day) |
| Outcome | Convicted by the Federal Senate, ineligible for 8 years |
| Charges | High crimes and misdemeanors |
| Cause |
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| Congressional votes | |
| Voting in the Chamber of Deputies | |
| Accusation | Vote to open impeachment process |
| Votes in favor | 441 |
| Votes against | 38 |
| Present | 0 |
| Not voting | 24 |
| Result | Approved |
| Voting in the Federal Senate | |
| Accusation | Vote to suspend Collor from the presidency |
| Votes in favor | 67 |
| Votes against | 3 |
| Not voting | 11 |
| Result | Collor suspended from office, Itamar Franco becomes Acting President |
| Accusation | Vote to resume the impeachment process |
| Votes in favor | 73 |
| Votes against | 8 |
| Result | Approved; process resumes, despite Collor's resignation |
| Accusation | Vote to remove political right |
| Votes in favor | 76 "guilty" |
| Votes against | 3 "not guilty" |
| Not voting | 2 |
| Result | Convicted; Collor loses political right for 8 years |
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In May 1992, Fernando Collor's brother, Pedro Collor, accused him of allowing a scheme where his campaign treasurer, Paulo Cesar Farias, used influence for money. The police and prosecutors started an investigation. On July 1, 1992, a special committee in Congress began to investigate.
As the investigation continued, Collor asked the public for support. He asked them to protest against "coup" forces. On August 11, 1992, thousands of students protested against Collor. They were organized by the National Union of Students. Their faces were often painted with flag colors and black. They became known as "Caras-pintadas" ("Painted Faces").
On August 26, 1992, the final congressional report was approved. It found proof that Fernando Collor had personal expenses paid for by money from Farias's scheme.
Because of this, citizens formally accused Collor of "crimes of responsibility." These are serious offenses that can lead to removal from office. On September 1, 1992, the impeachment process officially began. The Chamber of Deputies formed a committee to study the request. On September 24, 1992, the committee voted to recommend impeachment. On September 29, 1992, the Chamber of Deputies voted to impeach Collor. More than two-thirds of its members agreed.
On September 30, 1992, the accusation was sent to the Senate. The Senate then began its own process. On October 1, 1992, the Senate voted to proceed with the trial. The president of the Supreme Court began to oversee the process. On October 2, 1992, Collor was formally told that the Senate had accepted the report. His presidential powers were suspended for 180 days. Vice President Itamar Franco became acting president.
By late December, it was clear Collor would be found guilty. To try and stop this, Collor resigned on December 29, 1992. This was on the last day of the trial. His resignation letter was read in the Senate. The trial was paused so Congress could officially accept his resignation. Then, Franco was sworn in as president.
However, after Franco became president, the Senate continued the impeachment trial. Collor's lawyers argued that the trial should stop since he had resigned. But the lawyers for his removal argued that the trial should continue. They wanted to decide if he should lose his political rights for eight years. The Senate voted to continue the trial. They decided that even though he had resigned, determining his guilt was still important. A conviction would prevent him from holding public office for eight years. The Senate ruled that since the trial had started, he could not avoid a ruling by resigning.
In the early hours of December 30, 1992, the Senate found Collor guilty. Out of 79 senators who voted, 76 voted to convict him. As a result, Collor was barred from holding public office for eight years. The Senate issued a formal written decision. This decision was published in the official government journal on December 31, 1992.
In 1993, Collor challenged the Senate's decision to continue the trial after his resignation. He took his case to the Brazilian Supreme Court. But the Supreme Court said the Senate's action was valid.
In 1994, the Supreme Court heard the criminal charges related to the Farias corruption case. The Supreme Court had the power to hear this case because Collor was a defendant. If found guilty, he could face a jail sentence. However, Collor was found not guilty. The Supreme Court dismissed the charges due to a technicality. They said there was not enough evidence directly linking Collor to Farias's scheme. A key piece of evidence, Farias's computer, was not allowed. It had been obtained without a search warrant. Other evidence found because of this computer was also removed from the case.
After being found not guilty in the criminal trial, Collor tried again to get his political rights back. But he was not successful. The Supreme Court ruled that the criminal trial and the political impeachment trial were separate. Collor regained his political rights in 2000. This was after the eight-year ban from public office ended.
After His Presidency
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In 2000, Collor joined the Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB). He ran for mayor of São Paulo. But his candidacy was not allowed. His political rights were still suspended at that time. In 2002, with his political rights back, he ran for Governor of Alagoas. However, he lost to the current Governor, Ronaldo Lessa.
In 2006, Collor was elected to the Federal Senate. He represented his state of Alagoas. He won with 44.03% of the votes, again running against Lessa. The next year, he left PRTB and joined the Brazilian Labour Party (PTB). Since March 2009, Collor has been the Chairman of the Senate Infrastructure Commission. Collor ran for Governor of Alagoas again in 2010. But he lost, finishing third. This was Collor's second election loss.
In 2014, Collor was re-elected to the Senate. He won with 55% of the votes.
On August 20, 2015, Collor was accused of corruption by the Prosecutor General of Brazil. This was part of a large investigation called Operation Car Wash (Operação Lava Jato). The details of the accusation were kept secret to protect the investigation.
In 2016, Collor left PTB and joined the Christian Labour Party (PTC). This was a small Christian democratic party. Collor also voted as Senator to impeach President Rousseff.
In 2019, Collor left PTC and joined the Republican Party of the Social Order.
In 2022, Collor left the Republican Party of the Social Order. He rejoined the Brazilian Labour Party (current). Also in 2022, Collor ran for Governor of Alagoas again. He placed 3rd and did not make it to the second round. He received 14.57% of the votes.
In 2023, the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court voted to find Collor guilty of money laundering and corruption. He was accused of receiving money from Petrobras.
Honours and Awards
International Honours
Malaysia:
Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (1991)
Portugal:
Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword (1991)
Spain:
Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (10 May 1991)
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See also
In Spanish: Fernando Collor de Mello para niños
- List of mayors of Maceió
- List of scandals in Brazil
