Brazil inaugurates first female president - CNN.com Brazil inaugurates first female president By Helena de Moura, CNN Brazil inaugurates first female president STORY HIGHLIGHTS Dilma Rousseff became Brazil's first female president Saturday Thousands line the streets to take part in the ceremonies Her inauguration takes place 41 years after her arrest for subversive activities Rousseff says she was tortured by the military (CNN) -- Brazil's first female president was sworn in Saturday amid cheers and tears from supporters, many of whom followed her rise from freedom fighter brutally persecuted by the country's military junta in the 1960s to head of state. The world watched as Dilma Rousseff announced her new directives as president, drawing attention to the historic weight of her presidency. "This is the first time that the presidential sash hangs over the shoulders of a woman," she said. "I am committed to honoring women, to protecting the most vulnerable and to govern for all." "From now on I am the president of all Brazilians," a tearful Rousseff told the crowd. Rousseff, 63, replaces Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the most popular president in Brazil's recent history. Rousseff served as his chief of staff.

Rousseff, who was elected in October in a runoff vote, was sworn in just before 3 p.m. local time, along with her vice president, Michel Temer. Brazil elects first female president RELATED TOPICS Latin American Politics Chanting the song of Rousseff's PT Worker's Party -- "Ole ole ole ole... Lula ...Dilma..." -- crowds gathered in the historic National Congress in support of their new president, a guerrilla fighter-turned politician who will now head one of the world's largest economies. Brazil is still struggling with poverty, crime and corruption, despite the steady optimism projected by the nation's financial institutions. Rousseff's inauguration Saturday was attended by 23 heads of state, nine vice presidents, 76 ambassadors and 24 secretaries of state, including Hillary Clinton, with whom she shared a brief handshake. Rousseff had a somewhat longer encounter with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, signaling a closer relationship with emerging nations and challenging U.S. hegemony. "We will give great attention to emerging nations," Rousseff told members of Congress during her inaugural speech.

"We can transform our region into an essential component of a multipolar world that is to come, giving greater consistency to Mercosul and multilateral forums," she said, referring to an alliance of South American nations. "We will not make the smallest concession to the protectionism from rich nations that suffocate any opportunity for so many nations to overcome poverty through the hard work of production," she said. Rousseff also spent time with Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo and Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, both also known as left-wing heads of state. Rhetoric aside, the pragmatist Rousseff included the United States and the European Union in her list of those Brazil would like to maintain strong relationships with, despite disagreements over trade, the environment and the ongoing currency crisis. According to the World Bank, Brazil has quickly become a major player in world politics and one the world's ten largest economies in GDP. According to the International Monetary Fund's 2011 economic outlook, Brazil's economy is expected to grow by more than 5%, faster than many developed nations, including the United States. A major world player in agribusiness, experts claim Brazil has weathered the global financial crisis by benefiting from a hike in commodity prices.

In 2010, Brazil's accumulated GDP in the third quarter 2010 grew by 7.5 %, showing growing strength in the industrial sector, followed by the agriculture sector and the services sector, IMF analysts reported. Despite its economic boom, Brazil still struggles with poverty, hunger and an education crisis. But according to studies by Brazil's official statistical survey institute, IBGE, 31 million Brazilians entered the middle class and 24 million left poverty during since 2003. Like her predecessor, Rousseff vowed to fight hunger while promoting polices to stimulate growth. "Overcoming squalor requires prioritizing a long cycle of growth," she said, adding that a fiscal restructuring must take place in order to maintain Brazil's stable growth. Outside the Brazilian National Congress, crowds of well-wishers gathered, waving the red flags of the Workers Party. The much-anticipated inauguration was dampened somewhat by heavy rain, which forced the new president to find cover in a 1952 black Rolls Royce that paraded down the Esplanade of the Ministries as thousands looked on.

Her inauguration comes nearly 41 years after Rousseff was arrested and escorted in a military van to the Tiradentes Prison where, she told Brazil's Congress, she was "barbarically tortured" for nearly two years. Known as the "subversive Joan of Arc," Rousseff was tortured under Brazil's dictatorship for her activities as a left-wing guerrilla fighter in the late 1960s. Rousseff honored 11 women who spent time in prison with her at Tiradentes. Carlos Fico, a leading historian on Brazil's brutal military rule that began in 1964, said Brazilians -- especially victims of torture -- were moved that she chose to include her cellmates in the historic inauguration. "It coincides with many changes taking place in Brazil," Fico said. "While so many suffered terrible forms of torture, women were victimized in more ways than others, given the machismo that pervaded in the military. Many women prefer not to mention the details," he said. As the nation's first woman to hold the office, Rousseff said at the time of her election that she has a mission to fight for more gender equality in Brazil.

As for her past and the allegations that she engaged in subversive activities to fight the military regime, Rousseff said she had "no regrets, resentment or rancor." "I dedicated all my life to the Brazilian cause. I delivered my youth to dream of a just and democratic nation, " said Rousseff, choking up as she spoke before her cellmates, who stood in the front row of the Congress. "This tough journey made me value and love life even more," she said. Share this on: Brazil's First Woman Leader | TIME For Kids Brazil's First Woman Leader Dilma Rousseff is the Latin American country's first female president November 10, 2010 Print Dilma Rousseff made history on Sunday when she was elected the first female President of Brazil, the largest country in Latin America. With 56% of the vote, she defeated José Serra, the former governor of São Paulo. Rousseff will officially take office on January 1, 2011. RICARDO STUCKERT—HO/REUTERS Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (left) campaigned tirelessly for President-elect Dilma Rousseff. "I'm very happy," Rousseff told reporters.

"I want to thank all Brazilians for this moment, and I promise to honor the trust they have shown me." Rousseff will replace President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known popularly as Lula. Lula served two four-year terms. Brazil's constitution barred him from seeking a third consecutive term. Under Lula's leadership, Brazil's economy grew. His government helped lift 20 million people out of poverty and another 29 million into the middle class. Lula used his popularity to campaign for Rousseff, who served as his chief of staff. Time to Celebrate Within 20 minutes of the announcement of Rousseff's victory, her supporters began streaming onto a main avenue in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city. Eight years ago, a huge gathering celebrated Lula's win there. Police blocked off the road, and workers built a stage for a party expected to last the entire night. "Now we are certain that the country will continue in the right direction," said schoolteacher Hobert dos Santos. He waved campaign flags at the victory celebration in São Paulo.

"Dilma will be able to continue working for the people, to continue improving many of the things that Lula started and didn't have time to finish." In her victory speech, Rousseff promised to build on Lula's successes. She said she would focus on ridding the country of poverty, fighting against inequality and promoting human rights. About Rousseff Rousseff's father, an immigrant from Bulgaria, was a lawyer. He died when she was 14 years old. Her Brazilian mother worked as a schoolteacher. ERALDO PERES—AP Supporters of President-elect Dilma Rousseff wave flags while waiting for her at a victory rally in Brasilia, Brazil, on Sunday. In 1967, when Rousseff was a 19-year-old economics student, she joined a militant political group opposing the dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985. A dictatorship is a form of government in which one person holds complete power. Rousseff was captured in 1970 by Brazil's military police and imprisoned. After being released, in 1973, Rousseff finished her economics degree and went on to hold appointed positions in city and state governments.

She served as the nation's Energy Minister when Lula took office in 2003. She became his chief of staff in 2005. She left that post earlier this year to campaign. The Challenges Ahead Rousseff has a big job ahead of her. Brazil is expected to be the world's fifth-largest economy by the time it hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics. What's more, the country has recently discovered huge oil reserves off its coast that will have to be developed. Rousseff, who has never held elected office, will be charged with the tough task of managing the country's growth. She says she is ready to lead and hopes that her victory will empower women across the country. "I hope the fathers and mothers of little girls will look at them and say, 'Yes, women can,'" said Rousseff. Dilma Rousseff elected Brazil's first female president - Telegraph Dilma Rousseff elected Brazil's first female president Brazil has elected Dilma Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla, as its first woman president.

By Robin Yapp in Sao Paulo 8:16PM GMT 31 Oct 2010 Comments Ms Rousseff won 56 per cent of the valid votes compared with 44 per cent for her opponent, Jose Serra, with 99 per cent of all votes counted. “I’m very happy. I want to thank all Brazilians for this moment and I promise to honour the trust they have shown me,” Ms Rousseff told reporters in the capital Brasilia in her first public words after the result was announced. In a speech shortly afterwards she spoke of her pride at being the first woman to lead her country and paid tribute to the people of Brazil. “Equality of opportunity between men and women is an essential principle of democracy,” she said. “What gave me more confidence and hope at the same time was the immense capacity of our people to seize an opportunity, however small, to build a better world with it.” Hundreds of supporters gathered on the streets of Sao Paulo and Brasilia, dancing and waving red flags for the Workers’ Party and the unions that form its base.

Related Articles Former army captain accused of torturing Brazil´s president-elect Dilma Rousseff 05 Nov 2010 Ms Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla and twice-divorced grandmother , will replace President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the leader of Latin America´s biggest country on January 1 next year. President Lula had chosen Ms Rousseff as the candidate of the ruling Workers´ Party which he founded. Ms Roussef had enjoyed a double-digit lead over her Mr Serra in the final days before Sunday´s election. After casting her vote in the city of Porto Alegre, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Ms Rousseff, 62, gave a thumbs up and a victory sign. Speaking as he voted in Sao Paulo, Brazil´s biggest city, Mr Serra said that he had faced "an uneven battle" reflecting the fact that the strength of the economy has benefited Ms Rousseff as the candidate of the ruling Workers' Party. Ms Rousseff is expected to continue with the mix of market-friendly policies and social programmes to alleviate poverty that has characterised President Lula´s reign.

But political analysts believe the new incumbent will find it difficult to emulate the international influence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whom US President Barack Obama once called "the most popular politician on earth". Ms Rousseff, who had a middle-class upbringing, became active in left-wing politics as a student and was heavily involved with resistance to Brazil´s military dictatorship, which ruled the country from 1964 to 1985. She was captured and jailed in 1970 and subjected to electric shocks while serving her sentence. After her release at the end of 1972 she studied economics and went on to become a career civil servant. She served as energy minister and then President Lula's chief of staff from 2005 until stepping down to run for president earlier this year. President Lula was constitutionally barred from running again after serving two terms but enjoys approval ratings of around 80 per cent and has been a key factor in Ms Rousseff´s campaign. He has appeared at her side at every opportunity with his undoubted charisma helping to overcome Ms Rousseff´s reputation as stern and dour, which has led to her being nicknamed the 'Iron Lady'.

Yesterday´s vote was a second round run-off after Ms Rousseff failed to secure the 50 per cent of the vote she needed in the first round four weeks ago. She had 47 per cent with Mr Serra, of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) and a former governor of Sao Paulo state, on 33 per cent and Marina Silva, of the Green Party, scoring an unexpectedly high 19 per cent. Mr Serra closed the gap in opinion polls to as little as four percentage points after the first round. Ms Rousseff came under pressure over claims she would relax Brazil´s strict laws on abortion, which make it illegal except in cases of rape, where the mother's life is in danger or when the foetus has severe genetic abnormalities. But she began to surge ahead again after pledging that she would not make abortion easier and successfully steering the debate back towards the economic growth of Brazil. Ms Rousseff showed how confident she was of victory as she spoke on Saturday in her home city of Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais - sometimes referred to as Brazil´s Ohio for its reliability in indicating election winners. "I will govern for all Brazilians," she announced.

Challenges for Ms Rousseff will include dealing with Brazil´s overvalued currency, improving infrastructure before the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics of 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and overseeing investment in the oil fields off the country´s south eastern coast. For Mr Serra, 68, a former mayor of Sao Paulo and governor of Sao Paulo state, it was not the first time he had been involved in a presidential run off. The 2002 election also required a second round contest in which Mr Serra was easily defeated by Lula, who was elected president with more than 60 per cent of the vote. Brazil | Country report | Freedom in the World | 2011 Freedom in the World 2 Overview: Dilma Rousseff of the Workers’ Party (PT) was elected as Brazil’s first female president in run-off elections held on October 31, 2010. The PT did well in concurrent congressional elections, giving president-elect Rousseff an even larger majority in Congress than her predecessor. Despite some improvements, criminal violence remained a problem in Brazil’s major cities during the year, and official corruption continued to stoke political debate.

After gaining independence from Portugal in 1822, Brazil retained a monarchical system until a republic was established in 1889. Democratic governance was interrupted by long periods of authoritarian rule, and the last military regime gave way to an elected civilian government in 1985. However, Brazil’s democracy has been marred by frequent corruption scandals. One scandal eventually led Congress to impeach President Fernando Collor de Mello in 1992. Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) leader Fernando Henrique Cardoso—a market-oriented, centrist finance minister—was elected president in 1994, and he subsequently oversaw a highly successful currency-stabilization program that included fiscal reform, privatization of state enterprises, and a new currency pegged to the U.S. dollar. He also ushered in a new era of dialogue with international human rights and good-governance groups. In 1998, Cardoso handily won a second term in a rematch against his 1994 opponent, former labor leader and political prisoner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the left-leaning Workers’ Party (PT).

Lula finally won the presidency in 2002, promising to maintain orthodox economic policies while initiating meaningful social-welfare programs. These included “Bolsa Família,” a cash-transfer program that benefited approximately one-fourthof the population, and “ProUni,” a fund providing low-income students with scholarships to private colleges. Lula was reelected by a comfortable margin in the October 2006 presidential runoff, drawing on his popularity among working-class voters. Despite the fact that the legislature was widely seen as the most corrupt in the country’s history, the PT did not suffer losses in the concurrent congressional elections. In August 2007, the government released a report outlining the fate of political dissidents who were “disappeared” by the military between 1961 and 1988. Unlike in other Latin American countries with recent histories of military rule, former officials in Brazil remained protected by a 1979 amnesty law, and none had faced charges for human rights violations. In May 2010, the Supreme Court blocked a reinterpretation of the amnesty law that would have allowed for members of the military to go to trial for extrajudicial killings and torture.

A number of major government corruption scandals that began in 2004 continued into 2010. The earlier affairs involved vote-buying, kickbacks for public-works contracts, and the abuse of congressional power in awarding jobs and salary increases to favored recipients. After being accused of accepting bribes in 2009, the governor of the Federal District—the quasi-state that includes the capital Brasília—resigned and was jailed in February 2010.In September 2010, Dilma Rousseff’s presidential campaign was complicated by a corruption scandal involving Lula’ chief of staff, Erenice Guerra. Having succeeded Rousseff as chief of staff in April, Guerra resigned in September following allegations that she had received kickbacks from public contracts. While Rousseff was never directly involved, the affair revealed the degree of entrenched corruption in Brazil’s political institutions. During Lula’s two terms, two of his three chiefs of staff were forced to resign amid corruption scandals. Rousseff, Lula’s chosen successor, was elected president on October 31, 2010 with 56 percent of the vote, defeating rival PSDB candidate José Serra’s 44 percent.

The PT and its coalition partners also did well in congressional elections held in early October, strengthening their majorities in both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The governing center-left coalition increased its representation in the 81-seat Senate from 43 to 59, and its share of seats in the 513-seat lower house rose from 357 to 372. Political Rights and Civil Liberties: Brazil is an electoral democracy. The 2010 national elections were free and fair. The constitution provides for a president, to be elected for up to two four-year terms, and a bicameral National Congress. The Senate’s 81 members serve eight-year terms, with a portion coming up for election every four years, and the 513-member Chamber of Deputies is elected for four-year terms. The four largest political parties, accounting for more than half of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, are the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, the leftist PT, the conservative Democratic Party, and the center-left PSDB. Seventeen other parties are also represented in Congress. The electoral system encourages the proliferation of parties, a number of which are based in a single state.

A 2007 Supreme Court decision outlawed party switching after elections, though lawmakers have continued to switch parties on occasion for financial and other inducements. Corruption is an endemic problem in Brazil, ranking 69 out of 178 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. Despite a constitutional right of access to public information, the country does not have specific laws to regulate and guarantee transparency. The constitution guarantees freedom of expression, and both libel and slander were decriminalized in 2009. The press is privately owned, and while foreigners can acquire a 30 percent stake in a media company, they are restricted in their ability to influence editorial decisions and management selection. There are dozens of daily newspapers and a variety of television and radio stations across the country. The print media have played a central role in exposing official corruption. However, journalists—especially those who focus on organized crime, corruption, or military-era human rights violations—are frequently the targets of violence. Among other attacks in 2010, a journalist who had repeatedly received death threats for his coverage of drug-trafficking and other crimes was shot and killed outside his home in northeastern Brazil in October.

The government does not impose restrictions on access to the internet. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. The government does not restrict academic freedom. Freedoms of association and assembly are generally respected, as is the right to strike. Industrial labor unions are well organized. Although they are politically connected, Brazilian unions tend to be freer from political party control than their counterparts in most other Latin American countries. Labor issues are adjudicated in a system of special labor courts. Intimidation of rural union leaders continued to be a problem in 2010. The country’s largely independent judiciary is overburdened, plagued by corruption, and virtually powerless in the face of organized crime. The judiciary is often subject to intimidation and other external influences, especially in rural areas, and public complaints over its inefficiency are frequent. Brazil has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Most violent crime in the country is related to the illegal drug trade. Highly organized and well-armed drug gangs frequently fight against the military police as well as private militias comprising off-duty police officers, prison guards, and firefighters.

These militias have intimidated human rights activists and residents by instituting their own form of extortion, sometimes charging citizens a mandatory tax for ousting drug traffickers from their areas or actually selling weapons to drug dealers. Severe criminal violence continued in Rio de Janeiro in 2010, as gang members took 35 people hostage at a luxury hotel in August after an intense 40-minute gun battle with police in the streets. Following a three-hour standoff with police, the hostages were released unharmed. In October, Rio was rocked by a number of mass robberies by armed drug gang members who arranged road blocks, robbed drivers, and held residents hostage while battling local police. In an effort to bolster Rio’s security ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva committed federal police and $60 million in federal aid to the city starting in 2009. This has contributed to some improvements in Rio’s violence, including the successful pacification of several of the city’s dangerous favelas, or slums, by offering social work programs and a longer-term presence of “peace police” forces.

Brazil’s police are among the world’s most violent and corrupt, and public security remains a serious problem. Nearly 50,000 homicides occur each year, making Brazil’s murder rate approximately five times higher than that of the United States. Torture is used systematically to extract confessions from suspects, and extrajudicial killings are portrayed as shootouts with dangerous criminals. Police officers are rarely prosecuted for abuses, and those charged are almost never convicted; typically the cases are dismissed for “lack of evidence.” The prison system is anarchic, overcrowded, and largely unfit for human habitation. According to official estimates, Brazil’s prisons hold over 460,000 inmates, 50 percent over the system’s intended capacity. Overcrowding sometimes results in men and women being held in the same facilities, and human rights groups claim that the torture and other abuses common to most of the country’s detention centers have the effect of turning petty thieves into hardened criminals. Racial discrimination, long officially denied as a problem in Brazil, began to receive both recognition and remediation from Lula during his first term.

Afro-Brazilians earn less than 50 percent of the average earnings of other citizens, and they suffer from the highest homicide, poverty, and illiteracy rates. When he assumed office, Lula took the unprecedented step of naming four Afro-Brazilians to his cabinet, and appointed the country’s first Afro-Brazilian Supreme Court justice. While Congress has yet to pass federal legislation for university-based affirmative action, 70 percent of Brazil’s public universities have adopted some form of affirmative action. The owners of large estates control nearly 60 percent of the country’s arable land, while the poorest 30 percent of the population hold less than 2 percent. Land invasions are organized by the grassroots Landless Workers’ Movement (MST), which claims that the seized land is unused or illegally held. Progress on land reform has been slow due in part to a strong farm caucus and the economic importance of large-scale agriculture. Although Brazil abolished slavery in 1888 and has benefited in recent years from a relatively successful antislavery taskforce, between 6,000 and 8,000 rural laborers still work under slavery-like conditions.

Landowners who enslave workers face two to eight years in prison, in addition to fines. However, the fines are minimal, and no one has ever been imprisoned for using slave labor. Brazil’s indigenous population numbers around 460,000. The government promised in 2003 to demarcate large swaths of ancestral lands as the first step in creating indigenous reserves. A 2009 Supreme Court ruling defended the creation of one of the largest protected indigenous areas in the world, and the non-indigenous farmers living there peacefully left the 1.7 million hectare reservation that year. Violence and discrimination against indigenous people continues; half of the indigenous population lives in poverty, and most indigenous communities lack adequate sanitation and education services. A 2001 decree granted same-sex partners the same rights as married couples with respect to pensions, social security benefits, and taxation. While discrimination based on sexual orientation is prohibited by law, violence against homosexuals remains a problem. In 2003, a new legal code made women equal to men under the law for the first time in the country’s history. However, violence against women and children is commonplace, and protective laws are rarely enforced.

Forced prostitution of children is widespread. While the number of child workers has fallen over the past 15 years, 4.5 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 still work in Brazil, particularly in the informal sector. The government has sought to address the problem by cooperating with various nongovernmental organizations, increasing inspections, and offering cash incentives to keep children in school. Human trafficking continues from and within Brazil for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. However, the Lula administration rescued several thousand slave labor victims through mobile labor inspection operations in 2010. Profile: Brazil's First Female President Dilma Rousseff Profile: Brazil's First Female President Dilma Rousseff 2011-01-02 05:40:43 Xinhua Web Editor: Zhangxu Dilma Rousseff of Brazil's Workers ' Party (PT) on Saturday took office as the largest South American country's first female president for a term of four years. Rousseff, 63, was born in a middle class family in the state of Minas Gerais. Her parents were a Bulgarian immigrant and a Brazilian.

In her youth, Rousseff participated in the armed resistance known as Colina (an acronym for Command of National Liberation) and VAR-Palmares (Armed Revolutionary Vanguard), fighting against the de facto regime. She was imprisoned, tortured and spent three years in prison in the early 1970s. In the late years of the military regime, Rousseff fought for amnesty for citizens who had lost their civil rights and were persecuted by the government, and participated in the founding of Democratic Labor Party (PDT) in Brazil's southern region. Close to important Brazilian political leaders, such as Leonel Brizola, she played a decisive role in the movement called Diretas Ja (Direct elections now), the largest civil mobilization in Brazil's recent history, which culminated with the return of democracy. After studying economics, she became in the late 1980s the Secretary of Mines and Energy of the government of Rio Grande do Sul, which made her known in the whole country. Affiliated with Workers' Party since 2001, she was the Minister of Energy during the first term of Lula da Silva as of January 2003, and in June 2005 she assumed the post of Chief of Staff.

In that position, Rousseff was responsible for the major executive actions in Lula da Silva's second term as president. The coordination of PAC (Program to Accelerate Growth), a project to boost sanitation infrastructure, housing, transportation, energy and water resources, was among the highlights. She also launched strategic programs such as 'My Home, My Life, ' the largest housing project in Brazilian history, with a forecast of one million new homes, and the 'Light for All,' which provided electricity to more than 11 million Brazilians in rural and peripheral areas of big cities. During her tenure as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the state-owned oil company Petrobras, Brazil reached self-sufficiency in oil production and mega reserves were discovered in the pre- salt layer of Brazil's seabed, which may turn the South American country into a large oil exporter. Dilma Rousseff was hand-picked by president Lula himself to run for his succession and in April this year she left the post as Chief of Staff. She was elected president in the second round that took place on Oct.

31, with 56.09 percent of votes against 43.9 percent for her opponent Jose Serra, from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). Divorced, she has a daughter who gave birth to her first grandson last month. In 2009 Rousseff had to undergo treatment for a cancer in the lymphatic system, from which she recovered quickly. Dilma Rousseff: From fugitive guerrilla to Brazil's new president - CNN.com Dilma Rousseff: From fugitive guerrilla to Brazil's new president By Helena de Moura, CNN Dilma Rousseff was once one of most Brazil's most wanted fugitives, branded by some as a "subversive Joan of Arc." STORY HIGHLIGHTS Dilma Rousseff wins election Sunday; she'll take office January 1 A former guerrilla fighter, said she never fired weapons She won recognition for handling of Brazil's energy resources She blends a left-wing agenda with penchant for pragmatic alliances (CNN) -- Dilma Rousseff, who was elected as Brazil's first female president on Sunday, once told reporters that as a typical Brazilian girl in the 1950s she dreamed of becoming a ballerina.

But as the 1960s saw the emergence of a brutal military regime in her country, she had to make some hard choices. "I quickly discovered that the world had no place for debutantes," Rousseff told reporters. The daughter of a well-educated Bulgarian emigre, Rousseff took piano lessons as a child and was educated in a French-speaking Catholic school. But as a fighter for Brazil's left-wing guerrilla movement in 1969, she exchanged a wedding dress for fatigues and went underground, taking on names such as Luiza, Wanda and Estela to avoid the authorities. With her trademark pixie-short hair style and thick glasses, she became one of most Brazil's most wanted fugitives, branded by some as a "subversive Joan of Arc." Charged with subversion by the right-wing military government, she suffered through the disappearance and torture of her Marxist companions, some of whom died. But others eventually rose to office under the government of Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, Brazil's current president, including Environment Minister Carlos Minc and ousted Lula Chief of Staff Jose Dirceu.

When the military finally arrested her in 1970, Rousseff, now 62, says she was severely tortured in order to give up secrets. She told Istoe magazine in 2008 that as a prisoner she was often tied up to the infamous "parrot's perch," a torture device used by Brazil's military police in which the victim is suspended between two metal platforms. "They gave me electrical shocks, a lot of electrical shocks," Rousseff told Istoe. "I began to hemorrhage, but I withstood. I wouldn't even tell them where I lived," she said. After her release in 1972, the military government forbade her to engage in political activities. With the return of democratic rule in the mid-1980s, Rousseff held a number of political positions, one of them, as energy secretary in Rio Grande do Sul state, where she won praise for her handling of Brazil's largest power outage and turning the state into a road map for making the country an energy powerhouse. Video: Brazil elects first female president RELATED TOPICS South America The guerrilla organizations with which she was involved, such as the National Liberation Command, sought to gain control of the government by force.

They took inspiration from the Cuban revolution and other Latin American insurgent groups such as Colombia's FARC. But Rousseff dismisses stories that she knows how to handle an AK-47 and that she committed any violent crimes as "legends." "My involvement was just political," she told TV host Jo Soares in 2008. "I used to have more than a 9th, or 10th degree of myopia," referring to her poor eyesight. In her official campaign video, President Lula said Rousseff's past is nothing to apologize for and compared her fight against the military regime to other heroes. "One part of Dilma's life story reminds me of [Nelson] Mandela's," said Lula. "I remember Mandela once said that he only joined the struggle because they never gave him any other choice. Time went by, and what has happened? He has become one of the greatest symbols of peace and unification in the world." Some of her critics have slammed her involvement in the guerrilla movement.

During a congressional hearing in 2008, she silenced a senator and won applause for answering criticism that she broke the law in the 1960s for lying to the Brazilian police and for engaging in anti-military subversive activities. "I was 19 years old, I was in jail for three years and I was barbarously tortured, senator," she said in her televised statement. "Anyone who dared tell the truth to their torturers would compromise the lives of their friends. They would deliver them to their deaths." Rousseff returned to school in 1972, graduating in 1977 in economics, according to her official biography. Her ability to blend her left-wing agenda with entering into pragmatic capitalist alliances is one of the reasons she was tapped as energy minister in 2002. Rousseff is credited with the democratization of Brazil's energy through a program called Luz Para Todos, "Light for All," bringing electricity to poor farmers. In 2009, she was diagnosed with an early-stage lymphoma. After undergoing months of chemotherapy, she proudly lifted her wig in front of the cameras when she was declared cured.

Rousseff, who will take office January 1, has acknowledged that being a woman in office has not been easy, and complained of the media's treatment of her as Brazil's "iron lady" after several aides complained about the way she treated subordinates. "To take care of the government sometimes is like being a mother," she told TV Globo. "You have to ask for results." Rousseff takes conservative stances on some women's issues. "I am against abortion, I am pro-life," she told Aparecida TV, a Catholic network. Rousseff is divorced and has a daughter. Share this on: The women presidents of Latin America - BBC News BBC News The women presidents of Latin America 31 October 2010 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Dilma Rousseff has just been elected President of Brazil, making her the country's first female president. She is the latest woman in Latin America to take up the top job. BBC News profiles the women presidents of the region - both past and present.

Dilma Rousseff, Brazil 2010- Dilma Rousseff of the ruling Workers' Party has just been elected president of Brazil - a nation of almost 200 million people, and a rising global power. She is a career diplomat, and was - until running for the presidency - chief of staff to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; before that she was energy minister. Lula gave her his full backing during the campaign and she has promised to continue his policies. Those who know Rousseff describe her as a "tough cookie", and as a determined, pragmatic woman who likes to get things done. One of her nick-names is 'the iron lady'. She is said to be astute, with a strategic, logical mind. Her father was an immigrant from Bulgaria, and her mother a school teacher. While a student in the 1960s, she joined the left-wing armed resistance against the military dictatorship. Although she says she was never involved in violence herself, she was seen as a key figure within the movement. She was arrested and held for three years, during which time she was tortured.

Ms Rousseff was released in 1973, resumed her studies in economics, and then joined the civil service. Listen to a profile of Dilma Rousseff Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica 2010- Laura Chinchilla was sworn in as president of Costa Rica in May of this year, after a conclusive victory in elections in February. She is with the centrist National Liberation Party, and was vice-president under her predecessor, Oscar Arias. Ms Chinchilla has held several government posts and comes from a political family. She studied in Costa Rica and at Georgetown University in the US. Ms Chinchilla is regarded as a social conservative, and is opposed to gay marriage and abortion. She has promised to continue with the free-market policies of former president Arias, and to expand on Costa Rica's free trade deals. Costa Rica country profile Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina 2007- Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner swept to victory in the first round of Argentina's presidential election in October 2007. She took over the presidency from her husband Nestor Kirchner. The two worked closely together, and were dubbed "the Clintons of the South".

Mr Kirchner died of a heart attack at the age of 60 in October 2010. Christina Fernandez has a long track-record in politics dating back to the late 1980s. She has worked in the regional parliament, the national parliament, and as a senator. She studied law at university, and is known for her work campaigning on human rights and women's rights. Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile 2006-2010 Michelle Bachelet was inaugurated as president of Chile for the Socialist Party in March 2006. She had previously been Chile's Defence Minister - the first woman to hold that post in Latin America - and also health minister. She studied military strategy and is trained as a paediatrician and an epidemiologist. In 1970s, in the early days of Augusto Pinochet's rule, her father was held on charges of treason. Ms Bachelet and her mother were also detained and tortured, before going into exile. As health minister Ms Bachelet caused a stir in staunchly Catholic Chile by allowing the free distribution of the morning after pill for victims of sexual abuse.

She stepped down in March 2010 with a popularity rating of more than 80%, as the Chilean constitution does not allow a second consecutive presidential term. She is currently head of a new United Nations agency working on gender issues, called UN Women . BBC World Service interview with Michelle Bachelet Mireya Moscoso, President of Panama 1999-2004 Mireya Moscoso won presidential elections in May 1999, and was in charge a year later for the US handover of the Panama canal. She is the widow of three-time president Arnulfo Arias. She began her political career after her husband's death. Ms Moscoso came from a poor, rural background, and trained as an interior designer. She promised to work to reduce poverty in Panama. However, her presidency was dogged by allegations of corruption. Rosalia Arteaga, interim President of Ecuador 1997 Rosalia Arteaga acted as interim president of Ecuador for just two days in February 1997, when the former leader, Abdala Bucaram, was declared unfit to govern. She was vice-president before that.

Ms Arteaga ran for the presidency in elections in 1998, but got only a small share of the vote. Violeta Chamorro, President of Nicaragua 1990-1997 Violetta Chamorro beat the incumbent Daniel Ortega in elections, to become president of Nicaragua in April 1990. She was the candidate for the National Opposition Union - a coalition of parties that ran against the Sandinistas. Her bid was backed by the US, who lifted sanctions on the country after her election. Ms Chamorro comes from a wealthy family and was educated abroad, including in the US. She entered politics after her husband Pedro Joaquin Chamorro - who had been editor of an anti-government newspaper - was assassinated. She took over as editor of the paper after his murder. She is credited for helping bring stability and peace to Nicaragua. Lidia Gueiler Tejada, interim President of Bolivia, 1979-1980 Lidia Gueiler Tejada was interim president of Bolivia from 1979 to 1980. She was chosen to run the country after inconclusive elections and the ousting of the temporary president Walter Guevara.

She was to lead Bolivia until fresh elections, but she herself was removed in a coup before they were held. She trained as an accountant, and worked as a Member of Congress and as president of the Chamber of Deputies before being interim leader. She later worked as Bolivian Ambassador to a number of countries. Isabel Peron, President of Argentina 1974-1976 Isabel Peron was the first woman president in Latin America. She took over as president of Argentina when her husband - the three-time president Juan Domingo Peron - died in office in 1974. Isabel Peron was his third wife, and they married several years after the death of the much-loved First Lady Eva Peron. Known to Argentineans as "Isabelita", Ms Peron was a former cabaret dancer. During her presidency, there were numerous labour strikes, and hundreds of political murders. Isabel Peron was removed in a military coup in 1976, and held under house arrest for several years before moving to Spain. In 2007, Argentina issued an international arrest warrant for her, over her alleged links to a right-wing paramilitary group, which operated during her rule.

Argentinean authorities also wanted to question her over the disappearance of two men. Spain rejected the extradition request; the court there ruled that there was insufficient evidence against her. Dilma Rousseff | The Plaid Avenger The Plaid Avenger Special Skill: Latina Lambada Leader Official Stats Years Left in Office: To 2014; re-election possible Political Classification: Center-left Education: Enrolled in Masters & Phd in economics but did not finish Age: 69 (born December 13, 1947) Dilma Rousseff Facts and Information The Rundown Holy Brazilian bombshells, Batman! She’s repaving old roads, holding the door open for international and domestic investment, and reforming and expanding social benefits to boot! Who is she? The Dilma of course! Let’s do the Dilma! Dilma Rousseff is the 36th president of Brazil, and their first female president…who was largely completely unknown to the world (and the average Brazilian) before being handpicked by the former President to succeed him.

Yes, she had been the Energy Minister & the former President’s Chief of Staff but she hadn’t run for any sort of public office before, serving as a civil servant her entire life. Daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant, former member of a Marxist urban guerilla group for which she as imprisoned and tortured, and lifelong left-leaning liberal fighting for more equitable economic/social situation for Brazilians…this lady has done quite a bit in her lifetime! Quick history lesson on Rousseff’s life: Dilma was born in 1947 and raised in an upper middle class neighborhood in the southeastern area of Brazil. At the age of 20, Rousseff joined a more radical splinter group formed from the Brazilian Socialist Party. During that time she became involved in left-wing politics and joined the underground resistance to the right-wing military dictatorship that had seized power in ‘64 in Brazil. In 1970, she was arrested for her political activity and was jailed for three years even though she was never actively involved in armed operations. During her time in prison, Rousseff was tortured using a variety of methods from electric shock to inducing severe joint and muscle pain! She was released in 1973 and attempted to continue her education.

After some shenanigans involving her education, Rousseff graduated in 1977 with a degree in Economics from the Rio Grande do Sul Federal University. In 2001 she joined the Workers’ Party led by then not-yet-President Lula da Silva. After the campaign (in which Lula won) she was appointed Minister of Mines & Energy for the county. Now, let me tell you she did a damned good job there. Brazil is one of the greenest states on the planet and their cars can run on ethanol! Ethanol!! That’s something that we can only dream of in the US!! Well, at least we are destroying the rainforest at an unsustainable rate. Maybe Dilma better get on that next…. Anyways, back to Dilma: after a scandal with da Silva’s chief of staff, he appointed Rousseff as his new chief of staff. Sadly, in 2009, Rousseff was diagnosed with lymphoma but she beat it and came back to the political scene with a vengeance! She is a torture survivor and cancer survivor! The lady is tough! In early 2010, Dilma launched her own election campaign with the support of insanely popular President da Silva.

(As a Brazilain side note: Lula oversaw a rapid expansion of the Brazilian economy, increase in social benefits and programs, increase expansion of the middle class, the rise of Brazil the undisputed regional leader, a successful bid for the Olympics, and an all-around awesome feeling of success and national pride….that’s why Lula was/is so beloved in Brazil.) With little name recognition and without experience as a candidate, her campaign presented her as the one to continue Lula’s largely market-friendly policies and social welfare programs. She told voters that she was “going to follow Lula’s path.” During the election campaign, many people throughout the world including Tom Morello, Oliver Stone and too many other famous people to count supported her. Our good lady friend won the election by a margin of 56% to 44% and took office on January 1st, 2011 as the first female president of Brazil. Now, remember how I said earlier that Rousseff was part of a Marxist urban guerilla group? Yeah, well that was then, and this is now. Politically, Rousseff states that her political thinking has evolved drastically from Marxism to pragmatic capitalism. She still remains proud of her radical roots.

She is known to favor a strong state role in strategic areas, including banking, the oil industry and energy. On a social note, Dilma is definitely a lefty liberal who supports social programs, is against the death penalty, and strives for more economic/social equality within her society…but at the same time is against more radical leftist inspired thoughts like drug legalization or full-scale nationalization of major industries. Like her former boss Lula, she is a moderate left leader that is striving to use the power of the state to make peoples lives better, but not at the expense of chucking out capitalism altogether (like Hugo Chavez of Venezuelan does). Well, the lady is brand new to the job, and we shall see how she fares in the top slot of South America’s largest state, largest population, and largest military. But what does this all mean for you? Why should you care who Dilma is? Dudes! It’s important! As Brazil’s newly elected president, Rousseff will run Latin America’s largest economy and largest exporter: top exporter of sugar, orange juice, coffee, beef, & poultry. But that’s not all! Brazil is going to be a powerhouse world player in your lifetime. It’s happening already!

They’re set to host the 2014 World Cup and the Olympics in 2016…something that only big powerful countries get to do! Brazil is also becoming a significant power player in many supranational organizations, including the G-20, MERCOSUR, and the Union of South American Countries. And Brazil is a likely candidate to eventually join the UN Permanent Security Council too! Damn! Brazil got it goin’ on, like the lambada! So knowing who is in charge of this southern salsa society is serious stuff! So know your Dilma! Brazil's Dilma Rousseff fights for her political survival - BBC News BBC News Brazil's Dilma Rousseff fights for her political survival 13 April 2016 Close share panel Image copyright AP Image caption Those close to her say President Rousseff is a fighter who does not give up easily Dilma Rousseff, the first woman to be elected president of Brazil, has had her share of career ups and downs. In March 2013, just over halfway into her first term in office, she was on a career high. She was enjoying approval ratings of almost 80%.

Brazilians said they rated her highly for her efforts to combat poverty and hunger. While the growth of the country's economy had already begun to slow down, unemployment was still low and incomes had not yet suffered. Popularity plummets It was the first time that a majority of the Brazilians consulted in a poll by the National Industry Confederation said that Ms Rousseff was doing a better job than her popular predecessor in office, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Rousseff's social programmes were popular with many Brazilians Her policies of lowering taxes on food, expanding social welfare benefits and cutting the cost of electricity were especially popular with the poor, the backbone of her Workers' Party. Three years on, the picture is looking very different. Ms Rousseff's approval rating are down to about 10% and she is battling to stay in office as impeachment proceedings against her are making their way through Congress. But despite her main coalition partner, the PMDB party, turning its back on her and former allies saying they will vote for her impeachment, she has said she will not be driven out of office. Those close to her say she is not easily cowed.

Known for her brusque manner and short temper, no one doubts her fighting spirit. Rebel past Born in 1947, she grew up in an upper middle-class household in Belo Horizonte. Her father, Pedro Rousseff, was an ex-communist and Bulgarian immigrant. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Ms Rousseff was a member of Brazil's underground resistance during military rule Though she had aspirations to be a ballerina, these were quickly abandoned in favour of joining the left-wing movement against Brazil's military dictatorship which had seized power in 1964. In 1970 she was caught and imprisoned for three years. Subjected to torture including electric shocks for her role in the underground resistance, she refused to break. During her trial, she was referred to as the "high priestess of subversion". She first came to political prominence as the protege of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who governed Brazil from 2003 to 2011. When Lula's chief of staff, Jose Dirceu, was forced to resign and was later convicted over an illegal scheme that used public funds to pay coalition parties for political support, Ms Rousseff took over his post.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Rousseff became Lula's chief of staff in 2005 That was in 2005. She stayed in the post even as she battled lymphatic cancer in 2009. In 2010, with Lula banned from running for a third consecutive time by Brazil's constitution, Ms Rousseff went for the top job. She failed to get enough votes in the first round to win outright but went on to beat Jose Serra of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party in the second round with more than 56%. Her supporters praised her commitment to social inclusion and her championing of Bolsa Familia, a social welfare scheme that has benefited 36 million Brazilians. Tough times But her first term was not without trouble. Image copyright AFP Image caption Ms Rousseff ran for president for the first time in 2010 Many Brazilians opposed the government's backing of costly sporting events such as the 2014 World Cup in the face of continuing high levels of inequality and poverty. In June 2013, an estimated one million protesters took to the streets during the Confederations Cup, an international football tournament which preceded the World Cup.

The protests were sparked by a rise in bus fares but escalated into nationwide unrest, encompassing a number of grievances including corruption, poor security, transport and health systems. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption There were mass anti-government protests in 2013 Ms Rousseff said she would address these concerns but maintained that the World Cup was not being financed at the expense of public services. Despite the 2013 mass protests, Ms Rousseff still managed to beat her centre-right rival Aecio Neves to the presidency in October 2014. Her margin, however, was narrower than four years previously and she was quick to pledge to be "a much better president than I have been until now". Corruption maelstrom Her second term has been overshadowed by a massive corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A widening corruption scandal has led to call for Ms Rousseff to resign An investigation dubbed Operation Car Wash has uncovered evidence that Brazil's biggest construction firms overcharged Petrobras for building contracts. Part of their windfall was then handed to Petrobras executives and politicians who were in on the deal. Prosecutors allege that Ms Rousseff's Workers' Party partly financed its campaigns and expenses through these kickbacks.

A number of high-ranking politicians from the Workers' Party - and other parties - have been convicted over the scandal. President Rousseff insists she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing. But her critics, who point to the fact that Ms Rousseff served on the board of directors of Petrobras from 2003 to 2010, say they find this hard to believe. Ms Rousseff's second term has been further hampered by economic woes, including falling oil prices, rising unemployment and a recession. But what might eventually prove her undoing is an allegation that she manipulated government accounts to hide a shortfall in the government's budget. She is facing impeachment proceedings over the claims that could drive her from office. But true to her fighting spirit, she has promised to fight them all the way. Dilma Rousseff Dilma Rousseff 2016 Powerful People List: Dropoff President, Brazil Bachelor of Arts / Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul Dilma Rousseff on Forbes Lists #7 Power Women (2015) Calls for President Dilma Rousseff's resignation were chanted through the streets of Brazil at the start of this year, just months into her second term.

Rousseff, who ran on campaign promises to harness oil and boost the economy, is now battling a bribery scandal that involves the national oil company Petrobras. As Brazil's first female president, she was elected in 2010 and was on track to end poverty in the world's seventh-largest economy. But the hopes of her supporters have fallen flat in recent months as her approval ratings have dropped to 13%. Additionally, the economy of the country with a GDP of $2.19 trillion could shrink for the second consecutive year. More » More On Forbes Brazil's Ex-President Lula To Be Put On Trial For Bribery Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil and darling of the Workers Party, will face trial for his alleged involvement in the bribery and kickbacks scandal that has engulfed the South American country. Prosecutors allege that the popular ex-president, widely known as ‘Lula’, accepted a $1 million bribe. This is a read » Lula's 'Clear Conscience' And Brazil's Inability To Explain Petrobras Scandal Brazil’s former rockstar president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has a clear conscience, he says, about the two federal criminal court charges he now faces.

They’ve got nothing on him. He is sleeping well. Fica tranquilo. Although Wall Street has clearly moved on from Brazil’s political drama, Petrobras is still reeling from it. On read » Brazil Ex-President Lula To Be Tried For Corruption As Country's Politics Come Full Circle The news out of Brazil today might have been unimaginable 10 years ago, back when he thrilled crowds across Brazil with his promise of a different kind of future. It might have been unimaginable 5 years ago. It might even have been unimaginable 5 months ago. But this is 2016 Brazil, and these days the tables of power can turn quickly.

Question: Dilma Rousseff was elected as the first female President of which South American country, in 2011?
Answer: BRAZIL