Brazil had a troubled past and violent colonization, even when the colony was unexpectedly raised to the status of “capital of the empire” when the Portuguese royal family moved from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. At the base of the Brazilian people’s formation, we encounter native peoples, Africans from various countries, Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, French, Japanese, several Arab and Jewish peoples. A rich background, but based on the exploitation of the original peoples and slaves, by the riches of the land, first by different European countries and, later, by the United States. This past made it challenging to comprehend and recognize its roots, origins, and even its historical characters. Without identifying the past, how to structure the future?
A reflection about the Brazilian colonial past, its historical characters and how it influenced the current reality of the country.
