This article gives an overview of liberal parties in Brazil. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.
Liberalism was organized in Brazil since 1831 in a traditional way as the opposition to conservatism. With the republican revolution of 1889 organized liberalism disappeared. Some liberal parties were founded in twentieth century. Since 1966 liberalism was best represented by the Democratic Movement. After multi-partism became a fact, more parties labeled themselves as liberal, but the word was also used by moderate conservative forces. At the moment three parties name themselves liberal, but the Party of the Liberal Front (Partido da Frente Liberal) is a conservative party, member of the International Democrat Union. The Liberal party (Partido Liberal) and the Social Liberal Party (Partido Social Liberal) can be considered liberal parties. The centrist Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro) takes a liberal position the spectrum.
1831: In resistance to the imperial regime liberals formed in 1831 the Liberal Party (Partido Liberal), loosely connected to the urban petty bourgeoisie. It became the leading progressive party during the monarchy.
1863: A left wing faction forms the ⇒ Progressive Party.
1868: The Progressive Party reunited with the party.
1869: A left wing faction formed the ⇒ New Liberal Party.
1882: A new Progressive Party is formed.
1889: After the fall of the monarchy the party disappeared.
1863: A left wing faction of the ⇒ Liberal Party forms the Progressive Party (Partido Progresista) .
1868: The party reunited with the ⇒ Liberal Party
1869: A left wing faction of the ⇒ Liberal Party forms the New Liberal Party, led by Joaquím Nabuco. Unclear is the further existence of the party.
1882: A left wing faction of the ⇒ Liberal Party forms the Progressive Party (Partido Progresista).
1889: After the fall of the monarchy the party disappeared.
1870: The Republican Party (Partido Republicano), a party of the urban middle class, is formed.
1889: After the fall of the monarchy the party disappeared.
1930: The liberal bourgeoisie formed the Liberal Alliance (Aliança Liberal), led by Getúlio Dornelles Vargas. After he lost the fixed elections of 1930 the party came to power in a revolution.
1934: When Vargas establishes in 1934 an authoritarian regime, the party fell apart.
1966: The military government allowed in a bi-partisan system the formation of a democratic opposition party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement (Movimento Democrático Brasileiro). In this party liberals are united with social democrats, socialists and right leaning opponents of the rightist military government. The party is led by Oscar Passos, Pedroso Horta (since 1970) and Ullyses Guimarães.
1979: The party is reorganized into the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro, PMDB).
1981: The ⇒ Popular Party merged into the PMDB.
1988: The Brazilian Social Democracy Party seceded from the party.
1980: A liberal faction of the National Renewal Alliance established the liberal Popular Party (Partido Popular), led by Tancredo de Almeida Neves.
1981: The PP merged into the ⇒ Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement.
1985: The centre-right Liberal Front Party (Partido da Frente Liberal) is formed by a secession from the Democratic Social Party.
2007: PFL changes name into the Democrats (Democratas).
1985: The centre-right Liberal Party (Partido Liberal) is formed.
1998: The Social Liberal Party (Partido Social Liberal) is formed.
2005: The Libertarians (Libertários) is formed.
It is a libertarian party with some classic liberal members. Libertarians has no electoral register, still can not participate in elections.
2011: The New Party (Partido Novo) is formed.
Joaquim Nabuco
Tancredo Neves
Ulysses Guimarães
Rui Barbosa
Roberto Campos
