Brazilian order of precedence
The order of precedence in Brazil is a symbolic hierarchy of officials used to direct protocol. It is regulated by Presidential Decree number 70.274 of March 9, 1972, signed by former President Emilio Medici. The following order applies to ceremonies hosted by the federal government.
Part of a series on the Orders of precedence |
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This formal order of precedence was established during the military dictatorship, and hasn't been amended after the country's return to democracy in the 1980s. However, changes have informally been introduced to it, so that the de jure precedence no longer corresponds to the de facto arrangements that prevail in current practice. For instance, the head of the military cabinet, the head of the intelligence service and general officers of the Armed Forces no longer enjoy a precedence as high as is assigned to them by the 1972 Decree.
Other modifications of the order of precedence arise from the fact that certain officers, such as the Chief of Staff to the President, the Solicitor-General, etc., have been granted by law the status of Ministers of State, and so the holders of such officers now have a higher rank than they would have otherwise.
The order of precedence is only used to indicate ceremonial protocol; it does not reflect the co-equal status of the branches of government under the Constitution, and is not an actual hierarchy. The ranking of Brazilian officers in the Order of Precedence also does not reflect the place of those officers in the presidential line of succession.
The placement of Roman Catholic Cardinals in the order of precedence in spite of the Separation of Church and State in force in Brazil is justified on the grounds that they are Princes of a foreign power (the Holy See) residing in Brazil and/or holding Brazilian nationality.
Order of precedence according to the Decree
- The President of the Republic (Jair Bolsonaro)
- The Vice-President of the Republic (Hamilton Mourão)
- The President of the Senate (Davi Alcolumbre)
- The President of the Chamber of Deputies (Rodrigo Maia)
- The President of the Supreme Federal Court (Dias Toffoli)
- Brazilian cardinals (José Freire Falcão, Cláudio Hummes, Geraldo Majella Agnelo, Eusébio Oscar Scheid, Odilo Pedro Scherer, Raymundo Damasceno Assis, João Braz de Aviz, Orani João Tempesta, Sérgio da Rocha)
- Ministers of State
- The Head of the Military Cabinet (Augusto Heleno)
- The Chief of Staff (Walter Souza Braga Netto)
- The Director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Vacant)
- The Commanders of the Armed Forces (Lt. Brig. Raul Botelho, Adm. Ilques Barbosa Junior, Gen. Edson Leal Pujol, Brig. Antônio Carlos Moretti Bermudez)
- The Attorney General of Brazil (José Levi do Amaral)
- Foreign envoys
- Foreign ambassadors
- The President of the Superior Electoral Court (Luís Roberto Barroso)
- Justices of the Supreme Federal Court
- Prosecutor General of the Republic (Augusto Aras)
- Governors of State, according to creation date.
- The Governor of the Federal District (Ibaneis Rocha)
- Senators
- Federal Deputies
- Admirals of the Brazilian Navy
- Marshals of the Brazilian Army
- Marshals of the air of the Brazilian Air Force
- Admirals of the fleet of the Brazilian Navy
- Generals of the Brazilian Army
- Ambassadors
- Lt. Brigadiers of the Brazilian Air Force
- The President of the Superior Justice Court (João Otávio de Noronha)
- The President of the Superior Military Court (Marcus Vinicius Oliveira dos Santos)
- The President of the Superior Labor Court (João Batista Brito Pereira)
- Justices of the Superior Electoral Court
- Chargé d'affaires of foreign countries
- Justices of the Superior Justice Court
- Justices of the Superior Military Court
- Justices of the Superior Labor Court
- Vice admirals of the Brazilian Navy
- Divisional generals of the Brazilian Army
- Major-brigadiers of the Brazilian Air Force
- Catholic Archbishops
- The President of the Justice Court of the Federal District and Territories (Romão Cícero de Oliveira)
- Secretaries-General of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies
- Prosecutors of the Republic in the States of the Union
- Prosecutors-General in the States of the Union
- Directors of the Ministries of State
- Deans of Federal Universities
- The Director of the Federal Police of Brazil (Rolando Alexandre de Souza)
- The President of the Central Bank of Brazil (Roberto Campos Neto)
- The President of the Bank of Brazil (Rubem Novaes)
- The President of the Brazilian Development Bank (Gustavo Montezano)
- The Secretary of the Federal Revenue Service (José Barroso Tostes Neto)
- Chairman of Federal Savings Bank (Pedro Guimarães)
- Mayors of cities with more than 1,000,000 of inhabitants
- Counter admirals of the Brazilian Navy
- Brigadier-Generals of the Brazilian Army
- Brigadiers of the Brazilian Air Force
- Vice Governors of the States of the Union
- Presidents of the Legislative Assemblies of the States of the Union
- Presidents of the Justice Courts of the States of the Union
- Chair of the Permanent Committee of the Book of the Merit
- Chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (Marco Lucchesi)
- Chair of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (Luiz Davidovich)
- Chair of the Brazilian Academy of Press (Domingos Meirelles)
- Deans of State and Private Universities
- State Secretaries
- Catholic Bishops
- Presidents of Employers' and Workers' Confederations in national scale
- Directors of Central Bank of Brazil
- Directors of Bank of Brazil
- Directors of Brazilian Development Bank
- Captains of sea and war of the Brazilian Navy
- Colonels of the Brazilian Army
- Colonels of the Brazilian Air Force
- State Deputies
- Commanders of the Military Polices of the States of the Union
- Desembargadores of the Justice Courts of the States of the Union
- Foreign consuls
- Federal Judges
- Catholic Monsignors
- Frigate captains of the Brazilian Navy
- Lt. Colonels of the Brazilian Army
- Lt. Colonels of the Brazilian Air Force
- Presidents of Employers' and Workers' Confederations in regional or state scale
- Presidents of Municipal Chambers in cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants
- Law Judges
- Public Prosecutors
- Department Heads of Federal Universities
- Mayors of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants
- Corvette captains of the Brazilian Navy
- Majors of the Brazilian Army
- Majors of the Brazilian Air Force
- Department Heads of State and Private Universities
- Presidents of Municipal Chambers of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants
- Universities professors
- Other Mayors
- Catholic Canons
- Lt. Captains of the Brazilian Navy
- Captains of the Brazilian Army
- Captains of the Brazilian Air Force
- Presidents of other Municipal Chambers
- Catholic Priests
- Principals of High Schools
- City Councillors