Brazil: Number of black deputies grows 10% in 2022

The number of black deputies elected in 2022 has risen to 135 in Brazil. That’s a 26% increase from the 123 elected in 2018.

Despite the increase, white congress members still dominate the House – 369 were elected and expected to take office in the House.

In the country where 56% of the population self-declares black or brown, only 1,363 black and 3,302 brown people contested a seat in the House in 2022. In contrast, whites totaled 4,919.

Records at the time of the 2018 election show 125 black deputies were elected. However, updated data from the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) indicate that those elected who self-declare as black and brown are 123.

Self-declaration of candidates’ color was only registered in the 2014 elections after a resolution published by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court). Before, the Electoral Justice had no mechanisms to identify black candidates.

In the 2022 election, the self-declaration of some candidates caused controversy. ACM Neto (União Brasil), who is running for the government of Bahia, declared himself white in August and then changed to brown.

The candidate was criticized for the change in the Electoral Justice registration. Opponents claimed ACM had artificial tanning to get darker skin, but the campaign denied the procedure.

With information from Poder360