Dilma Rousseff

Dilma Vana Rousseff is a Brazilian economist and politician who made history as the first woman to serve as the 36th President of Brazil from 2011 until her impeachment in 2016. Born on 14 December 1947 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, she grew up in an upper‑middle‑class family with a Bulgarian‑born father and a Brazilian mother, receiving a bilingual education that fostered her early interest in history and the performing arts. Her political awakening began in the turbulent 1960s, when she joined left‑wing guerrilla groups such as POLOP and VAR Palmares, endured imprisonment and torture from 1970 to 1972, and emerged with a steadfast commitment to democratic socialism. After her release, she rebuilt her life in Porto Alegre, earned a degree in economics from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and entered public service as the municipal Secretary of Treasury in 1985, later serving as State Secretary of Energy and as Minister of Mines and Energy under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In 2005 she became the first female Chief of Staff of the Presidency, a role that highlighted her reputation for technical competence, work ethic, and ability to navigate complex political crises. Rousseff’s presidential campaigns in 2010 and 2014 emphasized continuity with Lula’s social programs, expansion of electricity access through the Luz para Todos initiative, and a pragmatic approach to infrastructure development, earning her decisive victories in both elections. Her two terms were marked by economic growth, expansion of social welfare, as well as controversies involving the Petrobras scandal and dam projects in the Amazon, leading to a dramatic impeachment process that removed her from office on 31 August 2016. Since 2023 she has served as Chair of the New Development Bank, continuing to influence international finance and development policy. Her legacy remains a subject of intense debate, reflecting both her pioneering role for women in Brazilian politics and the polarizing nature of her administration.