Brazilian presidential election, 1982 (Portuguese Butterfly)

The 28th presidential election in Brazil was held and defined in a two-round system between October 10th and 31st of 1982, which culminated in the victory of labourist Leonel Brizola.

It was the first victory of the Brazilian Labour Party in 32 years since Artur Frondizi. While Ulysses Guimarães was seeking the reelection, the then Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Leonel Brizola, wanted to run for the office, since he was at his second term as governor.

Although Brazil turned to the 80's into a comfortable economic position, still there were social and urban problems, since Brazil turned into a urban nation due to the rural exodus in the last decades. The known Favelas were rising, mostly in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Montevidéu, with crime rates also rising. These problems affected the popularity of the president Ulysses Guimarães and his campaign for reelection.

It was the first presidential election with the participation of the then-underground Workers' Party, founded in 1980. The party launched the lawyer Hélio Bicudo to run for the presidency, with Hugo Villar as the running mate. The Broad Front launched Victor Manoel Licandro as candidate, Júlio Maria Sanguinetti ran for the Republican Party, and Hugo Banzer for the National Democratic Union. Instead of launch a candidate, the Communist Party openly supported Leonel Brizola (PTB).

Ulysses Guimarães carried Santa Cruz, Pantanal, Tietê, Triângulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Planalto, Bahia, Ilhéus; Júlio Maria carried São Paulo and Guairá (then carried by Ulysses Guimarães in the second round); and Leonel Brizola carried São Pedro, Santa Catarina, Paraguai, Jesuítas, Ponta Porã, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Barra, Canudos and Palmares; and Victor Manoel carried Lomadas, Correntes, and Cisplatina (then carried by Leonel Brizola in the second round).