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Dilma Vana RousseffBrazilian economist, politician and elected President of Brazil
Date of Birth: 14.12.1947
Country:  Brazil |
Content:
Biography of Dilma Vana Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff, a Brazilian economist, politician, and the elected president of Brazil, was born on December 14, 1947, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. She became the head of the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in June 2005, becoming the first woman to hold such a position. Rousseff ran for the presidency of Brazil in the elections held on October 3, 2010, and ultimately emerged victorious, defeating the social democrat José Serra.
Early Life and Activism
Dilma Vana Rousseff was born to Bulgarian lawyer and entrepreneur Pedro Rousseff (1900-1962) and schoolteacher Dilma Jane da Silva. Her family lived in a large house with three servants, maintaining European customs. Rousseff received a classical education, including learning French and playing the piano.
In her youth, Rousseff became a socialist, and after the military coup in 1964, which led to the overthrow of President João Goulart, she joined the youth organization of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). When Dilma joined the radical faction of the PSB called the "National Liberation Team," which advocated for urban guerrilla warfare in the fight against the military dictatorship, she was captured and imprisoned. As a member of the underground armed organization, Rousseff met José Olavo Leite Ribeiro three times a week while he was captured. According to Ribeiro, after a day of torture, he revealed the location where he was supposed to meet another fighter at a bar in São Paulo. On January 16, 1970, he was forced, accompanied by undercover police, to attend the planned meeting at the bar, and his colleague also fell into disfavor. Dilma, who appeared unexpectedly at the bar, sensing something was wrong, tried to escape unnoticed but still aroused suspicion from the police, who found weapons on her. Ribeiro concluded, "If it weren't for the weapons, it's not excluded that she could have escaped." She spent time behind bars from 1970 to 1972, enduring torture. According to her, she was tortured for 22 consecutive days, beaten with fists, and subjected to electric shocks. One of her cellmates recalled, "They even tortured Dilma using car electrical wiring." However, some military officials, upon reviewing Rousseff's report, ironically and skeptically stated that nobody could survive 22 days of continuous torture.
Political Career
After her release, Rousseff settled her life in Porto Alegre, thanks in large part to Carlos Araújo, who had been her companion for almost 30 years. Together, they helped establish the Democratic Workers' Party (DWP) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, participating in a series of electoral campaigns for the DWP. Dilma became the Minister of Finance in Porto Alegre and later the Minister of Energy in Rio Grande do Sul. In the late 1990s, she transitioned from the DWP to the Workers' Party (PT). In 2002, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva utilized Dilma's expertise in energy matters, which were highly relevant after the electricity supply crisis in southern Brazil, during his presidential campaign. After winning the election, President Silva appointed Rousseff as the Minister of Energy in Brazil in January 2003.
In 2005, a political crisis sparked by a corruption scandal led to the resignation of José Dirceu, and on June 21 of the same year, Dilma took over as the head of the president's administration.
Beliefs and Criticisms
In terms of her beliefs, Dilma Vana Rousseff is against capital punishment, the legalization of all illegal drugs, and supports abortions only in extreme cases. She is also against same-sex marriage but supports civil unions for same-sex couples. Currently, Rousseff faces criticism from the Brazilian Roman Catholic Church and other religious groups due to her past support for the legalization of abortions. She has also become the primary target of criticism from José Serra.
Since October 31, 2010, Dilma Rousseff has served as the president of Brazil.
