Vanessa Grazziotin
Encyclopedia
Vanessa Grazziotin Bezerra (born June 29, 1961) is a Brazilian politician from the Communist Party of Brazil
(PC do B). Although born in Videira
, Santa Catarina
, Grazziotin based her political career in the state of Amazonas. Twice elected to represent the state in the Chamber of Deputies
, she was recently elected for the Federal Senate
in the 2010 parliamentary election
. She is the third Communist Senator ever in the history of Brazil, after Luís Carlos Prestes
and Inácio Arruda. She is also Amazonas' first female Senator.
. She is a member of the Communist Party of Brazil
(PC do B) since 1980, when the party was still illegal. Through PC do B, she was a councilwoman for Manaus
for nine straight years, from 1989 to 1998, when she successfully ran for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies. She was re-elected twice, on 2002 and 2006. On 2004, she unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Manaus, finishing the race in third place.
Among her proposals in the Chamber were the creation of a Green Seal for goods manufactured on the Manaus Free Trade Zone
, the prohibition of the distribution of plastic bags, and the creation of the Day of African and Amerindian Culture (to be celebrated on May 13). The latter project was approved by the National Congress on March 30, 2010.
On 2010, Grazziotin ran for a seat in the Federal Senate
. She was elected with 662,729 votes (22,8% of the total). Her election was rather impressive, once she defeated Arthur Virgílio, a prominent Senator from the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB). Virgílio accused Grazziotin of buying votes, the reason why he was called a "bad loser" by newsmagazine Istoé
. Grazziotin claims she acted according to the Public Ministry
guidelines.
administration and was recently elected to the Chamber of Deputies
through PC do B. They have one daughter, named Rafaela.
Communist Party of Brazil
The Communist Party of Brazil is a political party in Brazil. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and students movements. PCdoB dispute with the Brazilian Communist Party the title of "oldest political party in Brazil"...
(PC do B). Although born in Videira
Videira
Videira is a city in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil. The estimated population in 2006 was 47,510 inhabitants.The city is called "Capital do Vinho" in reference to the production of this alcoholic drink...
, Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
, Grazziotin based her political career in the state of Amazonas. Twice elected to represent the state in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
, she was recently elected for the Federal Senate
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
in the 2010 parliamentary election
Brazilian parliamentary election, 2010
The 2010 Brazilian parliamentary election was held on Sunday, October 3, as part of the country's general election. In the date, 54 of the 81 seats in the Federal Senate and all 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies were up for election....
. She is the third Communist Senator ever in the history of Brazil, after Luís Carlos Prestes
Luís Carlos Prestes
Luís Carlos Prestes was a leader of the 1920s tenente rebellion and the Communist opposition to the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas in Brazil....
and Inácio Arruda. She is also Amazonas' first female Senator.
Career
On 1985, Vanessa Grazziotin graduated in the Pharmacy College of the Federal University of AmazonasFederal University of Amazonas
The Federal University of Amazonas is a public university located in Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil. It offers many degrees, including a Medicine degree, traditional options such as Law and Social Communication, plus a handful of Engineering options, and a wide array of science and art...
. She is a member of the Communist Party of Brazil
Communist Party of Brazil
The Communist Party of Brazil is a political party in Brazil. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and students movements. PCdoB dispute with the Brazilian Communist Party the title of "oldest political party in Brazil"...
(PC do B) since 1980, when the party was still illegal. Through PC do B, she was a councilwoman for Manaus
Manaus
Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....
for nine straight years, from 1989 to 1998, when she successfully ran for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies. She was re-elected twice, on 2002 and 2006. On 2004, she unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Manaus, finishing the race in third place.
Among her proposals in the Chamber were the creation of a Green Seal for goods manufactured on the Manaus Free Trade Zone
Free Economic Zone of Manaus
The Free Economic Zone of Manaus is located in the city of Manaus, the capital of the State of Amazonas, Northern Brazil. The initial idea, a Free Trade Port in Manaus, came from Deputy Francisco Pereira da Silva and was subsequently formalized by Law No. 3.173 on June 6, 1957...
, the prohibition of the distribution of plastic bags, and the creation of the Day of African and Amerindian Culture (to be celebrated on May 13). The latter project was approved by the National Congress on March 30, 2010.
On 2010, Grazziotin ran for a seat in the Federal Senate
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
. She was elected with 662,729 votes (22,8% of the total). Her election was rather impressive, once she defeated Arthur Virgílio, a prominent Senator from the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB). Virgílio accused Grazziotin of buying votes, the reason why he was called a "bad loser" by newsmagazine Istoé
Istoe
Revista ISTOÉ is a weekly news magazine in Portuguese published in Brazil, roughly the equivalent of the American magazines Time or Newsweek. It is considered one of the four main magazines being published in the country, along with Veja, Época and CartaCapital....
. Grazziotin claims she acted according to the Public Ministry
Public Ministry (Brazil)
The Public Ministry is the Brazilian body of independent public prosecutors, working both at the federal and state level. It operates independently from the three branches of government, and was referred to by Constitutional scholar Michel Temer as the "Fourth Branch".There are three levels of...
guidelines.
Personal life
Grazziotin is married to fellow Communist politician Eron Bezerra, which acted as State Secretary for Rural Production in the Eduardo BragaCarlos Eduardo de Sousa Braga
Carlos Eduardo de Sousa Braga is a Brazilian politician, businessman, and current senator representing the state of Amazonas....
administration and was recently elected to the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
through PC do B. They have one daughter, named Rafaela.