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1980s and into the 1990s, periodic bouts of inflation, accompanied by slow
economic growth or complete stagnation, plagued the country. Brazil suddenly
found itself struggling to pay its foreign debt, and investment dried up.
Allegations of government incompetence and corruption were widespread.
In 1989 Fernando Collor de Mello ran for president promising to fight
corruption and reduce inflation. He won by a narrow but secure majority. But
by the end of 1992, Collor was himself indicted on charges of corruption. He
was later cleared.
Vice President Itamar Franco became president in December 1992 upon
Collor’s resignation. The following year, inflation reached a staggering annu-
al rate of 2,500 percent. To stabilize the economy and bring inflation under
control, Franco’s administration introduced a new currency, the
real
(pro-
nounced
ray-AHL
). Eventually the measures paid off.
In November 1994, Fernando Cardoso, the economy minister widely
credited with saving Brazil’s economy, was elected president. Through the
mid-1990s Cardoso presided over a Brazil that had a growing economy,
declining inflation, a stable currency, and record foreign investment. But 2
million jobs were eliminated and plans to help develop the poorer rural areas
failed. In fact, a 1996 United Nations report showed that Brazil had the
world’s most unequal distribution of wealth.
Cardoso persuaded the Brazilian National Congress to change the consti-
tution to allow him a second four-year term. He comfortably won the election
in 1998. Following the election, the real was devalued, ushering in a period of
economic belt-tightening. By 2000 the economy was growing again. But in
mid-2002 another crisis loomed as the international financial markets, anxious
Brazil
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