inter-american dialogue _ marina silva

7/17/2019 Inter-American Dialogue _ Marina Silva

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/inter-american-dialogue-marina-silva 1/3

11/10/2015 Inter-American Dialogue | Marina Silva

http://www.thedialogue.org/experts/marina-silva/ 1/3

Marina Silva is one of Brazil’s leading political figures and

environmentalists. She was minister of environment of Brazil from 2003 to

2008 and was a member of Brazil’s National Assembly from 1994 to 2011.

Silva grew up as one of twelve siblings in a poor rubber tapper family in the

province of Acre, in Western Brazil. When she was 16 years old, she

contracted Hepatitis and was sent to Rio Branco for treatment. She wasilliterate, but with a dream of studying and becoming a nun. She worked as a

maid, learned to read, was enrolled at a public school, studied for exams

Marina SilvaFormer Senator and Environment Minister of Brazil

MEMBER

mailto:[email protected]

https://twitter.com/silva_marina

https://www.facebook.com/marinasilva.oficial





and started history studies. Along the way she was inspired by liberation

theology and the ideas of the environmental activist Chico Mendes. She

became politically active, and an ardent proponent of negotiation, non-

violence, and innovative solutions. She saw many of her fellow activists

murdered.

In 1994, Silva was the first rubber tapper ever elected to Brazil’s Federal

Senate. As a native Amazonian and a senator, she built support for

environmental protection of the reserves as well as for social justice and

sustainable development in the Amazon region. As minister of environment,

she took drastic measures to protect the Amazon forest, clamping down on

illegal activity, and managed to reduce deforestation by almost 60 percent

from 2004 to 2007.

Another result of Silva’s work is the Amazon Fund, established to prevent

greenhouse gas emissions through rainforest conservation. The Fund is

financed by national and international contributions. In 2008, Silva resigned

as Minister of the Environment, citing “the increasing resistance in central

parts of government and the society.”

After resigning, she switched parties to the Green Party and unsuccessfully

ran for president first in 2010 and then in 2014. She remains one of the most

visible public figures in Brazil.





The Inter-American Dialogue engages our network of global leaders to foster democratic

governance, prosperity, and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Together, we

work to shape policy debate, devise solutions, and enhance cooperation within the Western

Hemisphere.

Inter-American Dialogue

1211 Connecticut Ave., NWSuite 510

Washington, DC 20036

P: +1-202-822-9002

F: +1-202-822-9553

© 2015 Inter-American Dialogue

inter-american dialogue _ marina silva

Documents