Thirty Years of the Brazilian Constitution: The Republic That Is Yet to Be

Abstract

The article is an overlook of the thirty years of the Brazilian Constitution of 1988, celebrated on October 5th, 2018. The text references observations made by the author on articles written on the occasion of the Constitution’s 10th and 20th anniversaries, contrasting them to the current scenario, arguably a moment of greater complexity. The article is a critical analysis of the last 30 years, identifying important achievements, as well as negative aspects that need to be overcome. In his conclusion, the author notes that Brazil still lacks important structural reforms, in order to defeat corruption and become a truly developed country, pushing to the sidelines of history the extractivist elites that appropriated themselves of the State and of the limited resources that non-inclusive political and economic institutions generate.

Keywords: Brazil, Constitutional Law, Brazil's 1988 Constitution