Key positions in Brazilian politics have long been, and still are, dominated by individuals with familial ties to the enslavement of people, according to the Escravizadores Project (Slavers Project), a groundbreaking investigation by Agência Pública, supported by the Pulitzer Center. This study traced the lineage of over 100 Brazilian political figures from the Executive and Legislative branches, uncovering direct links to ancestors who exploited enslaved labor.
The analysis revealed that out of 116 politicians reviewed, at least 33 had ancestors tied to slavery. Among Brazil’s eight presidents since the end of the 1964 dictatorship, four—José Sarney, Fernando Collor, Itamar Franco, and Fernando Henrique Cardoso—are descendants of enslavers.
The study also found that 16 of the current 81 senators, about 20%, share similar ancestral links. These include prominent figures such as Cid Ferreira Gomes of Ceará, former Bolsonaro chief of staff Ciro Nogueira, and ex-Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina. Nearly half of Brazil’s 27 state governors—13 in total—also fall within this category, with governors from São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro among them.
