Ana Maria Rangel ( Rio de Janeiro, May 21, 1957) is a political scientist graduated from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. Rangel studied and made presentations and talks about the socioeconomic situation in Brazil. She was also a business owner in the transportation sector. Rangel followed her husband to the United States, shortly after marrying, where she lived for 25 years. Having a very active life, she successfully split her time as head of family, business executive and

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

. Rangel obtained an amateur soccer coach certification so that she, being divorced, could more closely accompany her son as he played soccer both in the US and in Brazil. A practicing Catholic, she volunteered with the

Saint Vincent de Paul Society The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor. Innumerable Catholic parishes have ...

, helping guarantee the rights of immigrants and promoting the dignity of life. Rangel's experience in social work and her knowledge of the socioeconomic situation in Brazil, led her to become a candidate for President of Brazil under the

Partido Republicano Progressista The Progressive Republican Party (Portuguese: ''Partido Republicano Progressista'', PRP) was a Brazilian political party. It became a registered political party on 22 November 1991; its electoral number was 44. On 17 December 2018, the PRP ...

(PRP) party in 2006. She had very little access to the free press since in Brazil, free television time is allocated to the different candidates based on the size of the party and PRP was small. She obtained the most votes among the small parties. During her presidential campaign, she was asked to pay a bribe in the amount of R$14 million to guarantee her status as a candidate by the leader of the PRP party. The party leaders affirmed that the payment was a deal to pay for her campaign staff and marketing. After publicizing the negotiation and broadcasting a hidden recording of the negotiations, she began running her campaign with an "anti-corruption" theme. The PRP then denounced and removed Ana Maria from their ballot and she attempted to run independently. In Brazil one cannot run independently and must have the party's endorsement.

Politics of Brazil The politics of Brazil take place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. The political and administrative or ...

She had to appeal to the Justice Department where she was confirmed as a candidate allowing her to campaign for a short time through Election Day.

References

1957 births Living people Candidates for President of Brazil Brazilian women in politics Progressive Republican Party (Brazil) politicians {{Brazil-politician-stub