Corruption has, for a long time, been an unfortunate characteristic of Brazil and a concern of international investors and business people. With the most prominent forms appearing in the country's political system, below are some short descriptions of the most publicised cases:
- Fernando Collor (president from 1990 to 1992) was exposed as having undertaken a number of corrupt extortions in a fairly unsubtle manner and subsequently resigned to avoid impeachment. In 1994, he was acquitted of corruption on the grounds of inadequate evidence and is now back in the Brazilian Senate.
- In 2002, $BRL 1.3 million was uncovered in a police raid at presidential hopeful Roseana Sarney