Republicans (Brazil)

Logo (wordmark only) of the Brazilian Republican Party (PRB) from 2005 to 2012 (top) and from 2012 to 2019 (bottom), when the party changed its name to Republicans

The party was founded in August 2005 as the Municipalist Renovator Party by pastors of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.^[14] Lula's Vice President José Alencar moved to PRB on 2005 after leaving the Liberal Party.^[15] In March 2006, the party was renamed the Brazilian Republican Party as a suggestion by Alencar.^[16]

The Brazilian Republican Party first fought against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, then rallied behind him after his re-election in 2006. According to one study, the PRB was supportive of the Lula da Silva and Rousseff presidencies “on the basis of their concern for social democracy and for eliminating inequality.”^[17] However, later the PRB started to join the new rising wave of conservativism and anti-petism^[18][19] in Brazil and all of the PRB's deputies voted in favor of Dilma's impeachment.

They then supported the government of Michel Temer. In the 2018 presidential election, the Brazilian Republican Party supported the candidate of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, Geraldo Alckmin. Afterwards the party started to switch its support to President Jair Bolsonaro,^[18] reflecting their strong ideological affinity.^[18] For the 2022 Brazilian general election, the Republicans formed a coalition with the Liberal Party (PL) and the Progressives (PP) in order to support Jair Bolsonaro's 2022 presidential campaign.^[20][21] Candidates launched by the Republicans had their image heavily associated and sometimes were endorsed by Bolsonaro.

In August 2019, the Brazilian Republican Party changed its name into Republicanos.^[8] Justifying as "the name change reinforces the reformulation of the party's program and statutes... consolidating its position as a party conservative in customs and liberal in the economy”,^[22] seeking to emulate the American Republican Party.^[23] The name change came with a manifesto adopting a resolutely socially conservative position defending Christian values, the traditional family and private property.^[19]

The party leader as of 2024^[update] was Marcos Pereira.

The party's most important members are Bishop Marcelo Crivella, Rio de Janeiro senator and nephew of Universal's founder Bishop Edir Macedo, journalist Celso Russomanno^[24] and former Vice-President José Alencar. Famous football player Ronaldinho, also known as Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, joined the party in March 2018.^[25]

In 2022, it had 495,136 members.^[26]

In 2012, 80% of its members were Catholic and 20% evangelical, including six from the universal Church.^[27]

The party defines itself as "socially conservative but economically liberal", defending Christian values, the traditional family and private property.^[19] The party aligned itself with Jair Bolsonaro during his government from 2018 to 2022.^[21]

Some commentators say that the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), a neo-charismatic church that is organized like a business enterprise, has used the party as a base for its bishops to run for political office. According to the emeritus professor of political sciences from the University of Brasília, David Fleischer, "The PRB is an evangelical party."^[1] Several members, such as Celso Russomanno,^[24] are Catholic. Several leading members, such as Edir Macedo and Marcelo Crivella, have expressed statements of Christian fundamentalism and religious intolerance. A UN report accused members of the UCKG of verbal and physical attacks on members of the Umbanda and Candomblé religions.^[28] Macedo considered participating in presidential elections in order to transform Brazil into a theocratic state.^[28]

As mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Crivella called the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro an "un-Christian excess" and ordered severe financial cuts for the organisers.^[29] Furthermore, he is known for statements of religious intolerance. In his 1999 book Evangelizing Africa, he claimed that homosexuality is a "terrible evil," that Catholics are "demonic", that African religions are based on "evil spirits," and that Hindus drink their children's blood.^[30][31] He has since tried to distance himself from the book, saying that it was the work of a young, immature missionary.^[30]