EVANGELICALS, POLITICS AND SPACE: NEW STRATEGIES FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC?

Abstract

doi: 10.12957/geouerj.2016.27012

This work presents and discusses the expansion of the evangelical religious segment in Brazil, mainly pentecostal, and its expression in politics and in the national space. The data and information that support this study indicate not only the strengthening of evangelicals in politics, but especially new strategies that presuppose the expansion of their bases, beyond the religious field, or strictly evangelical. Several evangelical segments have achieved important partisan and parliamentary representations in various power instances, among them the Assembleia de Deus and the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus. Together, they form a cohesive and strong bloc, and increasingly gain political spaces in the Executive and Legislative. To demonstrate this situation, the expansion of evangelicals in the country between the years 2000-2010 will be presented first. Next, the evangelical political representation and the new strategies adopted will be made explicit. Finally, the example of Rio de Janeiro, just elected as mayor, by the Partido Rebublicano Brasileiro and with the support of various evangelical segments, Marcelo Crivella, of the Universal Church. Would Rio de Janeiro be a strategic space for the evangelical sector and its support base for the presidency of the Republic in 2018?