List of heads of government of the Federal Republic of Brazil

This article is a list of the former heads of governments in the Federal Republic of Brazil. The country has been a federal republic since the military coup of 15 November 1889.

Sword Republic (1889-1894)

No.	President (Birth-Death)	Portrait	Elected	Took Office	Left Office	Political Party	Vice President	Previous Public Office	Birthplace
1	Deodoro da Fonseca (1827-1892)		1891	15 November 1889	23 November 1891	Independent (military)	Floriano Peixoto	President of the São Pedro do Rio Grande do Sul Province	Cidade das Alagoas, Alagoas
	Leader of the military coup that overthrew the monarchy, Deodoro da Fonseca was a marshal of the Brazilian Army that became a republican by opportunity. Responsible for the separation of church and state, reformation of the penal code, abolition of the death penalty, and the reformation of commerce laws. Deodoro's attempt to estimulate industrialization failed, resulting in an economic crash. Fought the First Armada Revolt.
2	Floriano Peixoto (1839-1895)		-	23 November 1891	14 November 1894	Independent (military)	Vacant	Vice President	Maceió, Alagoas
	An army marshal elected vice president in February 1891, Peixoto came to the presidency following the resignation of Deodoro da Fonseca. Peixoto ruled in a proto-totalitarian fashion, brutally repriming rebellions and attempting to install a cult around his personality. Centralized power and promoted ultranationalism. Renamed the city of Desterro to "Florianópolis" after Floriano's loyalists massacred the city's inhabitants.

Coffee and Milk Republic (1894-1927)

No.	President (Birth-Death)	Portrait	Elected	Took Office	Left Office	Political Party	Vice President	Previous Public Office	Birthplace
3	Prudente de Morais (1841-1902)		1894	15 November 1894	14 November 1898	Federal Republican Party	Manuel Vitorino (Federal Republican Party)	Senator for São Paulo	Itu, São Paulo
	A lawyer, Prudente de Morais was the first civilian to become Brazilian president. Succesfully contained the Federalist Revolution and prevented the French from annexing the territory of Amapá. Annexed the island of Trindade and Martim Vaz and solidified Brazilian borders with Argentina. Brutally crushed the Canudos Rebellion.
4	Campos Sales (1841-1913)		1898	15 November 1898	14 November 1902	São Paulo Republican Party	Rosa e Silva (Federal Republican Party)	Governor of São Paulo	Campinas, São Paulo
	A lawyer and coffee farmer, Campos Sales was responsible for solving issues over the border with French Guiana. Dr. Campos Sales also balanced the Brazilian finances, but also was responsible for creating the Commission for Verification of Powers, a government body that de facto prevented any meaningful opposition from being formed in the National Congress.
5	Rodrigues Alves (1848-1919)		1902	15 November 1902	14 November 1906	São Paulo Republican Party	Afonso Pena (Mineiro Republican Party)	Governor of São Paulo	Guaratinguetá, São Paulo
	A lawyer, Rodrigues Alves modernized the Brazilian capital, Rio de Janeiro. He is also responsible for acquiring the rubber-producing province of Acre from Bolivia.
6	Afonso Pena (1847-1909		1906	15 November 1906	14 June 1909	Mineiro Republican Party	Nilo Peçanha (Rio Republican Party)	Vice President	Santa Bárbara, Minas Gerais
	An attorney and legal scholar, Afonso Pena expanded significantly the Brazilian railway system and the telegraph netowork. He also adopted the gold standard. The modernization of the military and ports were among other deeds of Afonso Pena. The president also was a staunch advocate of immigration.
7	Nilo Peçanha (1867-1926)		1906	14 June 1909	14 November 1910	Rio Republican Party	Vacant	Vice President	Campos, Rio de Janeiro
	The first black president of Brazil, Nilo Peçanha was responsible for the creation of policies aimed at the protection of Amerindian rights. Peçanha also sponsored the creation of educational centers and schools.
8	Hermes da Fonseca (1847-1909)		1910	15 November 1910	14 November 1914	Conservative Republican Party	Venceslau Brás (Mineiro Republican Party)	Minister of the Superior Military Court	São Gabriel Rio Grande do Sul
	Army marshal and a nephew of president Deodoro da Fonseca, his election, like the rest of the others in the Coffee and Milk Republic, is probably the result of fraud and forgery. Nonetheless, he supported trade unions and attempted to centralize the country in order to weaken the influence of the oligarchs. Hermes da Fonseca also expanded railways and crushed the Revolt of the Lash.
9	Venceslau Brás (1868-1966)		1914	15 November 1914	14 November 1918	Mineiro Republican Party	Urbano Santos (Mineiro Republican Party)	Vice President	São Caetano da Vargem Grande, Minas Gerais
	A lawyer, Venceslau Brás pacified the states of Santa Catarina and Paraná, ending a border dispute between them in the Contestado War. Venceslau Brás also promulgated the Civil Code and promoted industrialization. The president remained neutral during the Great War.
10	Ruy Barbosa (1849-1923)		1918	15 November 1918	14 November 1922	Liberal Republican Party	Urbano Santos (Mineiro Republican Party)	Senator for São Paulo	Salvador, Bahia
	A lawyer, diplomat, writer, translator, and journalist, Ruy Barbosa was the first Brazilian member of the opposition to be elected president. Reformed the penal code, promoted the industrialization of Brazil (which resulted in an economic bubble), and organized plans for the modernization of the largest urban centers of Brazil.
11	Estácio Coimbra (1872-1937)		1922	15 November 1922	14 November 1926	São Paulo Republican Party	Epitácio Pessoa (Mineiro Republican Party)	Governor of Pernambuco	Barreiros, Pernambuco
	A lawyer from a family of Portuguese immigrants, Estácio Coimbra is known for his dedication to projects in the Northeastern region of Brazil, mostly attempting to control the drought that affected the region. He also lifted the exile on the Brazilian Imperial Family and sponsored sports. Brazil also began to align with the United States during Coimbra's rule.
12	Fernando de Melo Viana (1878-1954)		1926	15 November 1926	5 November 1928	Mineiro Republican Party	Washington Luís (São Paulo Republican Party)	President of the Senate	Sabará, Minas Gerais
	A lawyer and the first atheist president of Brazil, Fernando de Melo Viana also was the first Brazilian of mixed race (Pardo) to occupy the presidency. His troublesome government was plagued by economic turmoil (an inheritance from the previous governments) and revolts. The murder of former president Nilo Peçanha irreversibly tainted Viana's image, and as such, his government (and the Coffee and Milk Republic as a whole) was ended with the Brazilian Revolution, which started on 3 October 1927.

The Mate Drink Republic (1927-1958)

No.	President (Birth-Death)	Portrait	Elected	Took Office	Left Office	Political Party	Vice President	Previous Public Office	Birthplace
13	Isidoro Dias Lopes (1865-1949)		-	3 October 1927	14 November 1930	Independent (Military)	Pedro Aurélio de Góis Monteiro (Independent)	Army General	Dom Pedrito, Rio Grande do Sul
	A general and revolutionary, Isidoro Dias Lopes was an ardent oppositor to the Coffee and Milk politics and a critic of the oligarchs. Dias Lopes was the leader of the 3 October Coup in Porto Alegre, quickly defeating the State government and establishing a provisional government. This caused a domino effect in the rest of Brazil, as the states of Paraíba, Rio de Janeiro, and Bahia also joined the provisional government. Isidoro Dias Lopes ruled for a single term of three years, peacefully ceding power to civilian Getúlio Vargas, governor of Rio Grande do Sul.
14	Getúlio Vargas (1882-1963)		1930	15 November 1930	1 May 1938	Liberal Alliance	Vacant	Governor of Rio Grande do Sul	São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul
	A lawyer and also the heir of a powerful landowner, Getúlio Vargas built his political platform based on populism and workers' rights, the latter of which were non-existent in Brazil at the time. Vargas is, to this very day, still referred to as the "father of the poor". Getúlio created the Brazilian welfare state, granted political rights to women, and was the first leader to successfully promote industrialization. Despite his popularity, his government was marked by authoritarianism and revolts, such as the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution and the 1935 Communist Putsch. Vargas peacefully ceded power to his former mentor, Borges de Medeiros.
15	Antônio Augusto Borges de Medeiros (1863-1961)		1938	1 May 1938	1 May 1942	Federal Republican Party	Armando Sales de Oliveira (Federal Republican Party)	Senator for Rio Grande do Sul	Caçapava do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul
16	Getúlio Vargas (1882-1963)		1942 1946	1 May 1942	1 May 1950	Brazilian Labour Party	Pedro Salgado Filho (Brazilian Labour Party)	Senator for Rio Grande do Sul	São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul
17	Oswaldo Aranha (1894-1960)		1950 1954	1 May 1950	1 May 1954	Brazilian Labour Party	Ernesto Simões Filho (Brazilian Labour Party)	Diplomat	Alegrete, Rio Grande do Sul
	Considered one of the most brillant diplomats in Brazilian history, Osvaldo Aranha was Getúlio Vargas' protegé. During his government, the debate over state power limits came to an end, with a compromise between the states and the federal government. Aranha also created Petrobrás, the Brazilian state oil company. Osvaldo Aranha promoted the nationalization of mineral resources and supported immigration, sponsoring the arrival of immigrants from Europe and Asia.

Populist Republic (1958-1985)

No.	President (Birth-Death)	Portrait	Elected	Took Office	Left Office	Political Party	Vice President	Previous Public Office	Birthplace
18	Jânio Quadros (1917-1993)		1958	1 May 1958	3 May 1960	Democratic Christian Party	Luís Viana Filho (Liberator Party)	Federal Deputy for Paraná	Campo Grande, Mato Grosso
	A conservative populist from Mato Grosso, Quadros was a law professor before becoming involved with politics in the aftermath of the election of Eduardo Gomes. Quadros became known for his strong anti-corruption stance, attempts to approach both the United States and the Soviet Union, and the focus on unimportant issues - such as the ban on bikinis and gambling. Jânio Quadros resigned in 1960 without giving due explanation. To this very day, the real motive behind Quadros' resignation is still up to debate.
19	Luís Viana Filho (1908-1990)		-	3 May 1960	17 August 1960	Liberator Party	Vacant	Vice President	Paris, France
	Son of the last governor of Bahia in the 19th Century, Luís Viana Filho is the only Brazilian president that wasn't born in Brazil. Although his mother gave birth in Paris, Luís Viana Filho was registered in Salvador, the capital of Bahia. His short government is rembered solely by this fact. On 17 August 1960, Viana Filho resigned to avoid an impeachment. To prevent foreigners from ruling the country, a constitutional amendment was adopted, which limited the offices of President and Vice President to Brazilians born in Brazilian soil.
20	Fernando Ferrari (1921-1963)		1960	17 August 1960	1 May 1962	Brazilian Labour Party	João Goulart (Brazilian Labour Party)	Federal Deputy for Rio Grande do Sul	São Pedro do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul
	An economist from Rio Grande do Sul, Fernando Ferrari was the author of the Land Reform (Reforma Agrária), which redistributed land and effectively ended the era of Brazilian latifundia. Due to his staunch left-wing views, Ferrari made many enemies, which culminated in his death on 25 May 1963 when the aircraft he was in crashed. Years later it was confirmed that the aircraft crashed not due to an accident, but due to a bomb explosion.
21	João Goulart (1919-1993)		-	15 November 1962	12 April 1970	Brazilian Labour Party	Alberto Pasqualini (Brazilian Labour Party)	Senator for Rio Grande do Sul	São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul
	A lawyer, João Goulart promoted what he called the Base Reforms, a series of laws and decrees that would radically alter the strucutre of Brazilian society. The Base Reforms included academic reform, suffrage expansion, a modern penal code, and the bureaucratic reform. The Brazilian Civil Service was professionalized, ceasing to exist as a politicized entity, universal suffrage was adopted, and education among the lower classes was promoted.
22	Ulysses Guimarães (1916-1992)		1970	1 May 1970	1 May 1974	Brazilian Labour Party	Nelson Carneiro (Social Democratic Party)	Federal Deputy for São Paulo	Itirapina, São Paulo
22	Miguel Arraes (1916-1992)		1974	1 May 1974	1 May 1978	Brazilian Labour Party	Leonel Brizola (Brazilian Labour Party)	Federal Deputy for Pernambuco	Araripe, Ceará
24	Paulo Maluf (1931-present)		1978	1 May 1978	1 May 1982	National Democratic Union	Virgílio Távora (National Democratic Union)	President	São Paulo, São Paulo
	A businessman of Arab origin, Paulo Maluf became known for his polemical slogans. Although he gets his fair share of unique quotes, he also became known for his focus on improving infrastructure at the expense of the poorer class, which was burdened by taxes. Maluf's government also saw the rise of multinational companies in Brazil. The rise of corruption in his government, however, led to his fall in 1982.
23	Tancredo Neves (1910-1985)		1982	1 May 1982	21 April 1985	Social Democratic Party	Mário Covas (Liberal Party)	Senator for Minas Gerais	São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais
	A lawyer and businessman, Tancredo Neves is credited for being one of the responsible for the Brazilian Miracle of 1984, in which the Brazilian economy began to grow exponentially.

New Republic (1984-present)

No.	Prime Minister (Birth-Death)	Portrait	Elected	Took Office	Left Office	Political Party	President	Previous Public Office	Birthplace
24	Mário Covas (1930-2001)		1982	21 April 1985	1 May 1986	Liberal Party	Vacant	Vice President	Santos, São Paulo
25	Itamar Franco (1949-present)		1986 1990	1 May 1986	1 May 1994	Brazilian Labour Party	Ulysses Guimarães (Brazilian Socialist Party)	Federal Deputy for Minas Gerais	Brazilian Territorial Waters, Brazil
26	José Serra (1939-present)		1994	1 May 1994	1 May 1998	Liberal Party	Orestes Quércia (Liberal Party)	Governor of São Paulo	São Paulo, São Paulo
27	Enéas Carneiro (1938-2007)		1998 2002	1 May 1998	1 May 2006	Party of Reconstruction of the National Order	Affonso Camargo Neto (Party of Reconstruction of the National Order)	None held	Rio Branco, Acre