Constitutional Atomic Bomb or Paper Tiger? The Institution of Impeachment in the Federative Republic of Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.19.2022.81.03Keywords:
Brazil, impeachment, constitutional tort, Fernando Collor, RousseffAbstract
Over the course of less than a quarter of a century, two Brazilian Heads of State – Fernando Collor in 1992 and Dilma Rousseff in 2016 – have been removed from office by impeachment. There has been much controversy surrounding both proceedings, particularly the latter. The article seeks to discuss briefly the history of the proceeding of impeachment in Brazil and its significance for the country’s political life after 1988. Through an analysis of the impeachment cases of President Fernando Collor and President Dilma Rousseff, and overview of the literature on impeachment in Latin America, the paper will address the similarities and differences present in both cases in which a Brazilian Head of State was removed from office. The last part of the article will further discuss the disputes among Brazilian jurists triggered by differing evaluations of this legal measure and, in particular, the more recent case of its implementation in Brazil.
Downloads
References
Adeodato J.M., “O impeachment no estado democrático,” Folha de S. Paulo, 9 September 2016, at https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/opiniao/2016/09/1811563‑o‑impeachment‑no‑estado‑democratico.shtml.
Argolo F., “A Woman out of Place: Dilma Rousseff in Veja Magazine,” Latin American Research Centre, 2018, at https://larc.ucalgary.ca/publications/woman‑out‑place‑dilma‑rousseff‑veja‑magazine.
Badaró G., “Presidente reeleito pode sofrer impeachment por ato realizado em mandato anterior? Sim,” Folha de S. Paulo, 22 August 2015, at https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/opiniao/2015/08/1672125‑presidente‑reeleito‑pode‑sofrer‑impeachment‑por‑ato‑realizado‑em‑mandato‑anterior‑sim.shtml.
Badin L.A., Hippolito R., “Impeachment,” in CPDOC encyclopedic repository of the Getúlia Vargas Foundation, 2009, at http://www.fgv.br/cpdoc/acervo/dicionarios/verbete‑tematico/impeachment.
Bahia A.G.M.F., Oliveira M.A.C., Vecchiatti P.R.V., “Supremo Tribunal Federal deve barrar ou nulificar impeachment sem crime de responsabilidade,” Empório do Direito, 25 March 2016, at https://emporiododireito.com.br/leitura/supremo‑tribunal‑federal‑deve‑barrar‑ou‑nulificar‑impeachment‑sem‑crime‑de‑responsabilidade‑por‑alexandre‑gustavo‑melo‑franco‑de‑moraes‑bahia‑marcelo‑andrade‑cattoni‑de‑oliveira‑e‑paulo‑roberto‑iotti‑vecchiatti.
Barbosa R., Ruinas de um governo, Rio de Janeiro 1931.
Barros S.R., “Impeachment: peça de museu?,” Revista Brasileira de Direito, vol. 7, no. 1 (2011), pp. 112‑132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18256/2238-0604/revistadedireito.v7n1p112-132
Brossard P., O impeachment. Aspectos da responsabilidade política do Presidente da República, São Paulo 1992.
Câmara dos Deputados, Plenário – Sessão Deliberativa – 17/04/2016, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V‑u2jD7W3yU.
Câmara dos Deputados, A perplexidade do brasileiro diante do confisco das contas bancárias e poupanças, at https://www.camara.leg.br/radio/programas/273499‑a‑perplexidade‑do‑brasileiro‑diante‑do‑confisco‑das‑contas‑bancarias‑e‑poupancas‑05‑44/.
Camargo M.L., Vieira J.R., “O Impeachment e o seu desenho institucional conflitivo,” Jota, 20 January 2016, at https://www.jota.info/opiniao‑e‑analise/artigos/o‑impeachment‑e‑o‑seu‑desenho‑institucional‑conflitivo‑20012016.
Coletta R., “No 2º mandato de Dilma, número de pedidos de impeachment empata com o de medidas provisórias,” Época, 27 April 2016, at https://epoca.globo.com/tempo/expresso/noticia/2016/04/no‑2‑mandato‑de‑dilma‑numero‑de‑pedidos‑de‑impeachment‑empata‑com‑o‑de‑medidas‑provisorias.html.
Cretella J., Do impeachment no direito brasileiro, São Paulo 1992.
Czajkowski J., “Prezydent republiki w Ameryce Łacińskiej,” in M. Grzybowski (ed.), Szkice o pozycji ustrojowej i statusie głowy państwa, Cracow 2003.
Datafolha, Dilma vê reprovação subir e alta no apoio a sua saída, 2016, at http://datafolha.folha.uol.com.br/opiniaopublica/2016/03/1752306‑dilma‑ve‑reprovacao‑subir‑e‑alta‑no‑apoio‑a‑sua‑saida.shtml.
Datafolha, Avaliação do governo Collor, 1992, at http://datafolha.folha.uol.com.br/opiniaopublica/1992/06/1222335‑avaliacao‑governo‑collor‑‑‑1992.shtml.
Doria P., Why the Political Crisis in Brazil Isn’t a Coup, OpenDemocracy, 25 May 2016, at https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/coup‑in‑brazil‑dilma‑rousseff/.
Dworkin R., “A Kind of Coup,” The New York Review of Books, 14 January 1999, at https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1999/01/14/a‑kind‑of‑coup/.
Encarnación O.G., The Myth of Civil Society: Social Capital and Democratic Consolidation in Spain and Brazil, New York 2003.
Ferreira Filho M., Curso de direito constitucional, São Paulo 2012.
Figueiredo A.C., “The Collor Impeachment and Presidential Government in Brazil,” in M. Llanos, L. Marsteintredet (eds), Presidential Breakdowns in Latin America. Causes and Outcomes of Executive Instability in Developing Democracies, New York 2010, pp. 111‑127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230105812_7
Figueiredo A.C., “The Role of Congress as an Agency of Horizontal Accountability: Lessons from the Brazilian Experience,” in S. Mainwaring, C. Welna (eds), Democratic Accountability in Latin America, Oxford 2003, pp. 170‑197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/0199256373.003.0006
Fontainha F. de Castro, Silva A.M.D., Nuñez I.S. (eds), História oral do Supremo (1988‑2013), vol. 20, Rio de Janeiro 2017.
Gallo C.P., Crimes de responsabilidade. Do impeachment, Rio de Janeiro 1992.
Guazina L., Prior H., Araújo B. (eds), (Des)construindo uma queda. A mídia e o impeachment de Dilma Rousseff, Florianópolis 2019.
Hochstetler K., “Rethinking Presidentialism: Challenges and Presidential Falls in South America,” Comparative Politics, vol. 38, no. 4 (2006), pp. 401‑418, https://doi.org/10.2307/20434009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/20434009
“Painel de Indicadores,” IBGE, at https://www.ibge.gov.br/indicadores.
Jiménez C., “Boff: ‘La democracia brasileña es más farsa que realidad’,” El País, 29 May 2017, at https://elpais.com/internacional/2017/05/26/actualidad/1495833522_994721.html.
José E., “O homem errado,” Teoria e Debate, 9 May 2013, at https://teoriaedebate.org.br/2013/05/09/%EF%BB%BFo‑homem‑errado/.
Kingstone P., “‘I’m Mad as Hell…’: Brazilian Protests in Comparative Perspective,” E‑International Relations, 6 August 2013, at https://www.e‑ir.info/2013/08/06/im‑mad‑as‑hell‑and‑im‑not‑going‑to‑take‑this‑anymore‑brazilian‑protests‑in‑comparative‑perspective/.
Kozicki K., Chueiri V.K., “Impeachment: A arma nuclear constitucional,” Lua Nova, vol. 108 (2019), pp. 157‑176, https://doi.org/10.1590/0102‑157176/108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-157176/108
Laidler P., “The Contemporary Constitutional Position of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil from the Perspective of the Civil Rights Process,” in K. Derwich, M. Kania (eds), Prawa człowieka w Ameryce Łacińskiej. Teoria i praktyka. Los derechos humanos en América Latina.
Teoría y práctica, Krakow 2014, pp. 143‑161.
Limongi F., Figueiredo A.C., “Bases institucionais de presidencialismo de coalizão,” Lua Nova, vol. 44 (1998), pp. 81‑106, https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102‑64451998000200005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-64451998000200005
Linz J.J., “The Perils of Presidentialism,” Journal of Democracy, vol. 1, no. 1 (1990), pp. 51‑69.
Ławniczak A., Ustroje polityczne państw latynoamerykańskich, Wrocław 2008.
Marsteintredet L., Berntzen E., “Reducing the Perils of Presidentialism in Latin America through Presidential Interruptions,” Comparative Politics, vol. 41, no. 1 (2008), pp. 83‑101, https://doi.org/10.5129/001041508X12911362383714. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5129/001041508X12911362383714
Matoso F., Calgaro F., “Dilma anuncia pacote anticorrupção e oficializa entrega ao Congresso,” G1, 18 March 2015, at http://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2015/03/dilma‑encaminha‑ao‑congresso‑nacional‑pacote‑anticorrupcao.html.
Mauerberg Jr A., Pereira C., Biderman C., “The Evolution of Theories about the Brazilian Multiparty Presidential System,” Journal of Politics in Latin America, vol. 7, no. 1 (2015), pp. 143‑161, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1866802X1500700105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1866802X1500700105
Moraes G.B.P., Curso de direito constitucional, São Paulo 2016.
O’Donnell G., “Demokracja delegacyjna,” in P. Śpiewak (ed.), Przyszłość demokracji. Wybór tekstów, transl. by P. Rymarczyk, Warsaw 2005, pp. 169‑189.
Olechno A., “Brazylia,” in S. Bożyk, M. Grzybowski (eds), Systemy ustrojowe państw współczesnych, Białystok 2012.
Paixão C., “Um golpe desconstituinte?,” Jota, 12 May 2016, at https://www.jota.info/opiniao‑e‑analise/artigos/democracia‑e‑constituicao‑um‑golpe‑desconstituinte‑12052016.
Peixinho M.M., “O processo de impeachment no Brasil e o estado democrático de direito,” Quaestio Iuris, vol. 10, no. 3 (2017), pp. 1943‑1963, https://doi.org/10.12957/rqi.2017.29696. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12957/rqi.2017.29696
Perez‑Líñan A., Presidential Impeachment and the New Political Instability in Latin America, New York 2007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511510335
Petelczyc J., Cichy M., “Jak Partia Pracujących zmieniła Brazylię. Wywiad z prof. Ladislauem Dowborem,” in iidem (eds), Brazylia, kraj przyszłości?, Warsaw 2016, pp. 21‑38.
Power T.J., “Optimism, Pessimism, and Coalitional Presidentialism: Debating the Institutional Design of Brazilian Democracy,” Bulletin of Latin American Research, vol. 29, no. 1 (2010), pp. 18‑33, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470‑9856.2009.00304.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-9856.2009.00304.x
Power T.J., “Politicized Democracy: Competition, Institutions, and ‘Civic Fatigue’ in Brazil,” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, vol. 33, no. 3 (2000), pp. 75‑112, https://doi.org/10.2307/165934. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/165934
Rattinger A., “The Impeachment Process of Brazil: A Comparative Look at Impeachment in Brazil and the United States,” University of Miami Inter‑American Law Review, vol. 49 (2018), pp. 129‑166.
Russo R., “STF pode mudar decisão do Congresso sobre impeachment, diz especialista – entrevista com André Ramos Tavares,” Folha de S. Paulo, 20 April 2016, at https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2016/04/1763050‑stf‑pode‑mudar‑decisao‑do‑congresso‑sobre‑impeachment‑diz‑especialista.shtml.
Sallum Jr B., “Crise política e impeachment,” Novos Estudos CEBRAP, vol. 35, no. 2 (2016), pp. 183‑203, https://doi.org/10.25091/S0101‑3300201600020010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25091/S0101-3300201600020010
Sandy M., “Dilma Rousseff ’s Impeachment is the Start of Brazil’s Crisis – Not the End,” The Time, 1 September 2016, at https://time.com/4476011/brazil‑dilma‑rousseff‑crisis‑impeachment/.
Santos F., Vilarouca M.G., “Political Institutions and Governability from FHC to Lula,” in P. Kingstone, T.J. Power (eds), Democratic Brazil Revisited, Pittsburgh 2008, pp. 57‑80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt6wr9x1.9
Schreiber M., “Ação que pode cassar chapa Dilma‑Temer entra na reta final: e agora?,” BBC News Brasil, 28 March 2017, at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/brasil‑39413855.
Schwarcz L., Starling H., Brasil: uma biografia, São Paulo 2015 [ebook, mobi format].
Smith A.E., “Is the Impeachment Trial of Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff a Coup?,” The Washington Post, 20 April 2016, at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey‑cage/wp/2016/04/20/is‑the‑impeachment‑trial‑of‑brazils‑dilma‑rousseff‑a‑coup/.
Streck L., “Constituição é contra impeachment de Dilma por fato do mandato anterior,” Revista Consultor Jurídico, 24 August 2015, at https://www.conjur.com.br/2015‑ago‑24/lenio‑streck‑constituicao‑impeachment‑mandato‑anterior.
Stürzenhofecker M., “Suspendierung Rousseffs: Brasiliens Bankrotterklärung,” Die Zeit, 12 May 2016, at https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2016‑05/dilma‑rousseff‑brasilien‑absetzung.
Szymanek J., “Legislatywa i egzekutywa w prezydenckich i półprezydenckich systemach rządów” [Legislature and Executive in Presidential and Semi‑Presidential Systems of Government], Przegląd Sejmowy, vol. 25, no. 1(138) (2017), pp. 103‑136.
“Time to Go,” The Economist, 26 March 2016, at https://www.economist.com/leaders/2016/03/26/time‑to‑go.
Van Dijk T.A., “How Globo media manipulated the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff,” Discourse & Communication, vol. 11, no. 2 (2017), pp. 199‑229, https://doi.org/10.1177/1750481317691838. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1750481317691838
Vasconcellos M., Rodas S., “Supremo Tribunal Federal não pode rever mérito de decisão de impeachment – entrevista com Manoel Gonçalves Ferreira Filho,” Consultor Jurídico, 1 May 2016, at https://www.conjur.com.br/2016‑mai‑01/entrevista‑manoel‑goncalves‑ferreira‑filho‑constitucionalista.
Viana N., “Comparato: ‘O impeachment hoje é absolutamente ilegítimo’ – entrevista com Fábio Konder Comparato,” Publica. Agência de Jornalismo Investigativo, 4 December 2015, at https://apublica.org/2015/12/truco‑comparato‑o‑impeachment‑hoje‑e‑absolutamente‑ilegitimo/.
Watts J., “Dilma Rousseff Impeachment: What You Need To Know – the Guardian Briefing,” The Guardian, 31 August 2016, at https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/aug/31/dilma‑rousseff‑impeachment‑brazil‑what‑you‑need‑to‑know.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.