Brazilian Democratic Movement

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The Brazilian Democratic Movement (Movimento Democrático Brasileiro, MDB) was a political party in Brazil that existed from 1965 to 1979. It was formed in 1965, when the military government that overthrew President João Goulart abolished all existing political parties and replaced them with its own party, the National Renewal Alliance Party (ARENA). The MDB became the official party of the opposition, bringing in members from many of the former political parties. As such, the MDB lacked a unified political position, being an umbrella organisation that harboured centrists, liberals, leftists, and conservatives that disagreed with the military rule.

At first, the MDB did not have real power in Congress, but in the elections of 1974 it took almost enough seats to gain a majority in Congress. As a result, the military government passed legislation restricting the power of the opposition, and even annulled the election of certain MBD Congressmen.

The MDB participated in the indirect presidential elections of 1974 and 1978 with two "anti-candidates", Ulysses Guimarães and General Euler Bentes Monteiro. The MBD used these campaigns to gain the attention of the global media, and denounce the "democratic" facade of the Brazilian dictatorship.

In 1979, in what may have been an attempt to split-up the opposition - or, on the other hand, a concession to reality -, the military government allowed the formation of new parties, and the majority of the MDB became the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB).