Marina Silva facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marina Silva
Silva in 2024
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 January 2023
President	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Preceded by	Joaquim Alvaro Pereira Leite
In office 1 January 2003 – 13 May 2008
President	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Preceded by	José Carlos Carvalho
Succeeded by	Carlos Minc
Spokesperson of the Sustainability Network
In office 22 September 2015 – 8 April 2018 Serving with Zé Gustavo
Succeeded by	Pedro Ivo Batista Laís Garcia
Senator for Acre
In office 15 May 2008 – 1 February 2011
Preceded by	Sibá Machado
Succeeded by	Jorge Viana
In office 1 February 1995 – 2 February 2003
Preceded by	Aluísio Bezerra
Succeeded by	Sibá Machado
Federal Deputy for São Paulo
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 February 2023
State Deputy of Acre
In office 1 February 1991 – 1 February 1995
Constituency	At-large
Councillor of Rio Branco
In office 1 January 1989 – 1 February 1991
Constituency	At-large
Personal details
Born	Maria Osmarina da Silva (1958-02-08) 8 February 1958 (age 67) Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil
Political party	REDE (2015–present)
Other political affiliations	PT (1986–2008) PV (2008–2011) PSB (2013–2015)
Spouse	Fábio Vaz de Lima ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	4
Alma mater	Federal University of Acre

Marina Silva (born Maria Osmarina da Silva on February 8, 1958) is a famous Brazilian politician and environmentalist. She is known for her work to protect the Amazon rainforest.

Currently, she is Brazil's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. She also held this job from 2003 to 2008. Silva has been a senator and a federal deputy, which is like a member of congress. She has run for president of Brazil three times, in 2010, 2014, and 2018.

Silva has won many international awards for her efforts to protect the environment. In 2012, she was chosen to be one of the eight people to carry the Olympic flag at the opening of the London Summer Olympics.

From the Amazon to Politics

Marina Silva in Xapuri, a town in her home state of Acre.

Silva in the Amazon rainforest. The picture behind her is of activist Chico Mendes.

A Challenging Childhood

Marina Silva was born in a small village in the state of Acre, deep inside the Amazon rainforest. Her family were rubber tappers, people who collect sap from rubber trees. She was one of eleven children.

Life in the rainforest was difficult. As a child, she survived malaria five times, as well as other serious illnesses. When she was 16, her mother died, and she moved to the city of Rio Branco. She went to live in a convent with nuns, who taught her how to read and write. She was the first person in her family to become literate.

After leaving the convent, she worked as a maid to pay for her housing. She studied hard and earned a degree in history from the Federal University of Acre when she was 26.

Becoming an Activist

In the 1980s, Silva became involved in politics. She helped start the first workers' union in Acre. A union is a group that helps workers get fair treatment.

She worked with another famous activist, Chico Mendes. Together, they led peaceful protests called empates. These protests were meant to stop deforestation (the cutting down of forests) and protect the homes of people living in the rainforest.

In 1988, she was elected as a city councillor in Rio Branco. This was her first job as a politician. In 1994, she made history by becoming the first rubber tapper ever elected to Brazil's Federal Senate.

Minister of the Environment

In 2003, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (often called Lula) asked Marina Silva to be his Minister of the Environment. In this role, she was in charge of protecting Brazil's natural environment, including the Amazon rainforest.

Her main goals were to involve the public in environmental decisions and to promote sustainable development. Sustainable development means using resources in a way that doesn't harm the environment for future generations.

Under her leadership, the rate of deforestation in the Amazon dropped by 59% between 2004 and 2007. This was a huge success. Her team worked with the police and the army to stop illegal logging.

Leaving the Government

Silva often disagreed with other members of the government. Some business leaders and politicians wanted to build large projects, like dams and highways, that she felt would harm the environment.

Because of these disagreements, she felt she could no longer do her job effectively. In 2008, Marina Silva resigned as Minister of the Environment.

Running for President

After leaving her role as minister, Marina Silva ran for president of Brazil three times.

2010 Election

In 2009, Silva joined the Green Party. She ran for president in 2010. Her campaign focused on fighting corruption and protecting the environment. Many young and educated voters supported her. She surprised many people by winning 19% of the vote, finishing in third place.

2014 Election

With Eduardo Campos in 2013.

In 2014, Silva decided to run for vice president alongside presidential candidate Eduardo Campos. Tragically, Campos died in a plane crash just a few months before the election.

After his death, the Socialist Party chose Silva to be their new presidential candidate. She again finished in third place, with 21% of the vote.

2018 Election

Silva ran for president a third time in 2018, this time with her own party, the Sustainability Network. She finished in eighth place with about 1% of the vote.

Return to Government

In 2022, Silva decided to support her old boss, Lula, in his run for president. She and Lula had disagreed in the past, but they came together to work on environmental issues.

After Lula won the election, he once again appointed Silva as the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change in January 2023. In the same election, Silva was also elected to be a federal deputy for the state of São Paulo.

Beliefs and Views

Marina Silva is known as a centrist politician. This means her views are often in the middle, not strongly on the left or right. She is a strong environmentalist and has made fighting corruption a key part of her platform.

She is against using nuclear power in Brazil. Instead, she wants the country to invest more in clean energy sources like solar and wind power.

Silva is a Pentecostal Christian and has been a member of the Assemblies of God church since 1996.

Awards and Honors

Silva (center) with scientists Thomas Lovejoy and Stephen Schneider.

Marina Silva has received many awards for her work.

• 1996: Goldman Environmental Prize, a major award for environmental activists.
• 2007: Named a "Champion of the Earth" by the United Nations.
• 2009: Won the Sophie Prize for her environmental and development work.
• 2010: Named a "top global thinker" by Foreign Policy magazine.
• 2014: Chosen as one of the "Women of the Year" by the Financial Times newspaper.

Electoral history

Images for kids

• 

  Silva on the television channel SBT.

See also

In Spanish: Marina Silva para niños