Alternative History

Avante Brasil (loosely translated as "Forward Brazil" or "Let's Go Brazil"), often just called Avante, is a Brazilian political party founded by media mogul Silvio Santos in 1998 best described as a center-right party, but also a "personality party" designed mostly for his personal ambitions. Avante won the second-most seats at the 1999 elections and was invited to form a coalition government, known as the United Front, after the 2000 no-confidence vote defeated Leonel Brizola's Para Todos Brasileiros coalition. Avante would become the largest party in 2003's election, once again forming a coalition government, but lost nearly two-thirds of its seats in 2007. After initial signs that Santos would step away from politics, the tycoon returned to lead Avante at the 2010 party conference at the age of 70 and won a shock election result the following year, heading a four-year coalition government under the Broad Front moniker, this time incorporating more centrist and populist elements after previous two-time partner National Renewal refused to join. The Broad Front was defeated in 2015, and the party in 2019 was reduced to a mere seven seats in the Parliament of Brazil, barely above official-party status.