Collor's Impeachment

The Impeachment of Collor was the process of removal of President Fernando Collor de Mello, in 1992.

Accused of involvement in corruption and financial fraud, there was great agitation in the streets with the Caras Pintadas movement.

The Senate voted for his removal from the government, by 76 votes in favor and 3 against.

Reasons for Impeachment

During the campaign, Collor stood out for being young, proposing the fight against corruption and the marajás . These were civil servants who did not show up for work but continued to receive wages.

However, when he took office, he instituted the Collor Plan and confiscated bank deposits that exceeded the amount of 50 thousand cruzeiros.

The intention was to control inflation, but the plan was not successful and companies closed and unemployment increased.

PC Farias Case

Collor's brother, Pedro Collor (1956-1994), publicly revealed evidence of the president's involvement in a case of embezzlement.

The crime consisted of using Collor's electoral campaign as a slush fund. Thus, a lot of money was diverted from public funds through the creation of shell companies and accounts abroad.

PC Farias, nickname of Paulo César Farias (1945-1996), was the treasurer of Collor's campaign. During his government he was very close to the president, and supposedly, he would have been his "iron front man" in several negotiations.

The scandal further aroused the dissatisfaction and revolt of Brazilians against the president.

"Out of Collor" Movement

Students, known as Caras Pintadas (they painted their faces green and yellow), took to the streets in a movement that brought together the Brazilian population and became known as Fora Collor .

On August 11, 1992, ten thousand people gathered in front of the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) in São Paulo to protest.

Following this, the president made a statement on national television and asked citizens to wear the colors of Brazil next Sunday, in response to the event and as a sign of support for the president.

However, on what became known as the Black Sunday , the population's response was to dress in black. This only confirmed the feeling of revolt and intensified the protests against the president.

It was a demonstration of popular dissatisfaction that had placed its trust in Collor the first time Brazil voted to choose its president.

Itamar Franco assumes the presidency

After his dismissal was declared, Vice President Itamar Franco (1930-2011) assumed the presidency of Brazil, ending his term on January 1, 1995.

Itamar Franco had already assumed the interim presidency on October 2, shortly after the impeachment process was opened.

Chronology of the Impeachment

• December 17, 1989, Fernando Collor de Mello, of the National Reconstruction Party (PRN), won the second round of the presidential elections against Luiz Inácio da Silva (Lula), of the Workers' Party (PT).
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• March 15, 1990 takes office.
• September 29, 1992, the impeachment process is opened in the Chamber of Deputies and Collor is removed from the government.
• December 29, 1992, Senate meets to vote on impeachment. A few minutes after the session began, Collor's defense attorney announced his resignation. However, the vote took place, his political rights were revoked for 8 years and Collor was removed from the presidential office.
• In 2002, about ten years after his impeachment, Collor ran for governor of Alagoas, but lost.
• In 2006, he ran as a senator for the state of Alagoas and won the elections.

Curiosities

• Businessman and treasurer Paulo César Farias was murdered under unclear circumstances in Maceió in 1996.
• Senator and former president Collor de Mello was present at the session that decided the impeachment process of former president Dilma Rousseff, in August 2016.

Read more

• Impeachment
• Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff
• Democracy in Brazil
• Brazil Republic