Characters / MTNO Brazil

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Republic of the United States of Brazil

Official Name: Republic of the United States of Brazil

Ruling Party: Partido da União Progressista^note Progressive Union Party

Ideology: Populist Conservatism^note Conservatism

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General Tropes

• Allohistorical Allusion:
  • Operation Carwash happens as IOTL (except for the backdrop, figures, and some details), but has an even greater impact on Brazil's political landscape.
  • The Brazilian court system was decentralized in the same manner as in OTL, with "Regional Federal Courts" (TRF's) increasing the efficiency of the judicial system and laying the groundwork for Operation Carwash.
• The Assimilator: French Guiana has been fully integrated into Brazil as of 2012, making up the 28th state in the federation.
• Corrupt Politician: Brazil's corruption is perversive and exists in all levels of society, but it is far worse in politics. After Operation Carwash, it becomes common knowledge that nearly all existing politicians are crooks.
• Crapsaccharine World: On the surface, Brazil is a prosperous South American nation that holds the title of one of the world's largest democracies. However, it is ripe with corruption, social inequality, and crime.
• Democracy Is Flawed: Brazilian democracy is messier than ever. Paper ballots are still used and counted individually, making the process inefficient and susceptible to interference; the constitution is outdated, several undemocratic laws still exist, smaller parties lack funding for their candidates, and most politicians treat their careers like business ventures. Couple all of this with the fact that no compulsory voting laws exist, and there is almost no incentive for the average Brazilian to go out and vote.
• The Federation: Brazil is a member of the Organization of Free Nations.
• Jailed One After Another: During Operation Carwash, it becomes commonplace for one politician's arrest leading to several of his business partners and colleagues also being thrown in the slammer once their role in the scheme is uncovered, creating a sort of "matryoshka of crooks".
• Military Coup: Brazil went through two military coups in recent history (1964 and 1982), and the threat of a third coup constantly looms over Brazil in times of widespread political instability.
• Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: An investigation into a money laundering scheme involving a network of gas stations and car washes unveils the neverending corruption in Brazilian politics and society, culminating in the disintegration of several major political parties and corporations and changing Brazilian politics forever.
• No, You: A common tactic used by Brazilian politicians is to dismiss accusations of corruption by accusing their rivals of being corrupt as well.

Presidents (2012-2014)

Paulo Maluf

Role: President of Brazil^note Head of State

Party: Partido da União Progressista^note Progressive Union Party

Ideology: Populist Conservatism^note Conservatism

The former mayor of São Paulo and PUP politician, Maluf was elected in 2010, beating his rival, Geraldo Alckmin, by a margin of 0.9%.

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• 0% Approval Rating: Maluf already suffers from a low approval rating for much of his term, and Operation Carwash deals a crippling blow to his Presidency, leading to him being impeached.
• Corrupt Politician: Maluf participates in the corruption schemes discovered by Operation Carwash, accepting kickbacks and embezzling almost R$326 million in public funds.
• Sleazy Politician: Like in our timeline, Maluf is ridiculously corrupt, already facing his own fair share of scandals even before Operation Carwash. He is also a populist who uses public projects to gain public approval.

Jorge Bornhausen

Role: President of Brazil^note Head of State (Maluf impeached)

Party: Partido Liberal Democrático^note Liberal Democratic Party

Ideology: Oligarchic Liberalism^note Liberal Conservatism, Liberal Conservatism (Actual)

Maluf's Vice President, Bornhausen rises to the Presidency after Maluf is Impeached. Belonging to an influential family of liberal oligarchs, Bornhausen spent almost thirty years in Brazilian politics and knows his way around the favor-based system that perpetuates Brazil's corrupt cycle. Despite the assumption that Bornhausen would work to cover up Operation Carwash and protect his allies, he winds up turning against them as President.

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• Meet the New Boss: Subverted. Bornhausen is nothing like Maluf, despite the fact the two of them have a very similar political profile. Bornhausen loathes his corrupt allies and is happy to see them being put behind bars, while Maluf is almost a personification of Brazilian corruption.
• Puppet King: Zig-Zagged. Bornhausen's party and government are filled with corrupt politicians who pressure him into interfering with Operation Carwash to cover their tracks. Bornhausen, on the other hand, simply does nothing, knowing it's only a matter of time before the investigations catch up to his peers.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Bornhausen is disgusted by the amount of corruption in Brazilian politics, and sees Operation Carwash as a chance to clean Brazil's dirty laundry, even if he gets caught up in it. He allows the Operation to continue unharmed and welcomes the entry of new political figures into the arena.

President (2014-2022)

Eduardo Campos

Role: President of Brazil^note Head of State (2014 Election)

Party: Partido Socialista Brasileiro^note Brazilian Socialist Party

Ideology: Progressivism, Left-wing Corporatism^note Paternalism (Autocratic Path)

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• Landslide Election: With mainstream parties collapsing left and right in the wake of Operation Carwash, Campos and the PSB are able to sweep the 2014 and 2018 Elections with no problem.
• Suffrage and Political Liberation: Campos is a progressive who wants to reform Brazilian democracy and establish a comprehensive welfare state.

Former Presidents and other characters

See this entry on the Miscellaneous subpage.