BBB Bench
{{short description|Right-wing groups in Brazil}}
{{see also|Conservatism in Brazil}}
{{Conservatism in Brazil|Related}}
In Brazilian politics, the BBB Bench is a collective term used to informally describe three powerful political factions ({{lang|pt-BR|bancadas}}, literally "benches") in the National Congress associated with the conservative right.{{cite journal | url=https://brasil.elpais.com/brasil/2017/12/01/politica/1512148795_433241.html | title=Bancada da Bala, Boi e Bíblia impõe ano de retrocesso para mulheres e indígenas | last=Alessi | first=Gil | date=2017-12-07 | language=pt-br | journal=El País }}{{cite web | url=http://theconversation.com/how-brazils-far-right-became-a-dominant-political-force-71495 | title=How Brazil's far right became a dominant political force | last=Cavalcanti | first=Roxana Pessoa | work=The Conversation | date=2017 | language=en }} These encompass the Bullet Bench ({{lang|pt-BR|bancada da bala}}), legislators supportive of protecting and expanding gun rights, the Rural Bench ({{lang|pt-BR|bancada ruralista}}, often referred to as the {{lang|pt-BR|bancada do boi}}, the Ox Bench), legislators aligned with agribusiness interests,{{cite journal | url=http://www.periodicos.ufpb.br/index.php/okara/article/view/41337 | title=A SERPENTE FORA DO OVO: a frente do agronegócio e o supremacismo ruralista | last=Castilho | first=Alceu Luís | volume=12 | issue=2 | pages=699–707 | date=2018-08-12 | language=pt-BR | doi=10.22478/ufpb.1982-3878.2018v12n2.41337 | issn=1982-3878 | journal=OKARA: Geografia Em Debate | doi-access=free }}{{cite journal | url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2016/04/1762237-bancada-bbb-do-boi-bilbia-e-bala-engrossa-derrota-de-dilma-na-camara.shtml | title=Boi, Bíblia e bala: 'bancada BBB' engrossa derrota de Dilma na Câmara | journal=Folha de S.Paulo }}{{cite journal | url=http://politica.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,bancadas-da-bala--da-biblia-e-do-boi-pressionam-temer,10000027834 | title=Bancadas da Bala, da Bíblia e do Boi pressionam Temer - Política - Estadão | journal=Estadão }} and the Evangelical Bench ({{lang|pt-BR|bancada evangélica}}, often referred to as the {{lang|pt-BR|bancada da bíblia}}), aligned with the country's evangelical movement.{{cite web | url=http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/brasil/a-forca-dos-evangelicos-no-congresso | title=Vinde a mim os eleitores: a força da bancada evangélica no Congresso | author=Gabriel Castro e Marcela Mattos | publisher=Revista Veja | date=23 March 2013 | access-date=1 May 2013 }}{{cite web | url=http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/brasil/a-forca-dos-evangelicos-no-congresso | title=Vinde a mim os eleitores | author=Gabriel Castro e Marcela Mattos | publisher=Revista Veja, Ed. Abril | date=23 March 2013 | access-date=22 May 2014 }}
The term “BBB” was used for the first time by federal deputy Erika Kokay at a meeting of the Workers' Party (PT) bench in the Chamber of Deputies in early 2015, eliciting laughter from colleagues.{{cite web | url=http://epoca.globo.com/colunas-e-blogs/felipe-patury/noticia/2015/02/kokay-aumenta-bancada-bbb-biblia-boi-e-bala.html | title="Aumenta a bancada BBB: Bíblia, boi e bala", diz Erika Kokay | date=4 February 2015 | access-date=12 June 2017 | website=revistaepoca.globo.com }} The expression soon became popular as a derogatory term used by leftists against their conservative opponents, who they deemed a threat to human and minority rights.{{cite journal | url=https://www.cartacapital.com.br/revista/844/bbb-no-congresso-1092.html | title=A bancada BBB domina o Congresso | last=anachiaveg | journal=CartaCapital }}
The BBB Bench played a crucial role in the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff. Even prior to Dilma's impeachment, the BBB Bench had already begun pressuring centre-right Vice President Michel Temer to support their proposals.{{cite journal | url=http://politica.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,bancadas-da-bala--da-biblia-e-do-boi-pressionam-temer,10000027834 | title=Bancadas da Bala, da Bíblia e do Boi pressionam Temer - Política - Estadão | date=25 April 2016 | journal=Estadão }}{{cite journal | url=https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/agencia-estado/2016/04/25/bancadas-da-bala-da-biblia-e-do-boi-pressionam-temer.htm | title=BBB já cobra Temer: bancadas da bala, da Bíblia e do boi pressionam o vice - Agência Estado - UOL Notícias | date=25 April 2016 | access-date=12 June 2017 | journal=UOL Notícias }} In the 2018 presidential election, federal deputy Jair Bolsonaro, a member of the BBB Bench, was elected President of Brazil.
Rural Bench
File:Agriculture in Brazil.PNG
The Rural Bench or Ruralist Bench ({{lang|pt-BR|bancada ruralista}}), often pejoratively referred to as the Ox Bench ({{lang|pt-BR|bancada do boi}}), is a powerful faction within the National Congress allied with the interests of commercial agribusiness.{{Cite web|title=Coordenador da bancada ruralista sonha em comandar a Câmara {{!}} Radar|url=https://veja.abril.com.br/blog/radar/coordenador-da-bancada-ruralista-sonha-em-comandar-a-camara/|access-date=2020-12-25|website=VEJA|language=pt-BR}} The faction is noted for its association with the Rural Democratic Association (UDR), a conservative agribusiness coalition opposed to land reform efforts backed by socialist parties like the Workers' Party (PT) that aim to expropriate farmland.{{Cite web|last=Brasil|first=CPDOC-Centro de Pesquisa e Documentação História Contemporânea do|title=UNIAO DEMOCRATICA RURALISTA (UDR)|url=http://www.fgv.br/cpdoc/acervo/dicionarios/verbete-tematico/uniao-democratica-ruralista-udr|access-date=2020-12-25|website=CPDOC - Centro de Pesquisa e Documentação de História Contemporânea do Brasil|language=pt-br}}
In addition to opposing land reform efforts, members of the Rural Bench are noted for supporting policies aimed at expanding the amount of arable farmland in Brazil to the detriment of environmental conservation efforts.{{Cite web|date=2016-12-21|title=Temer government set to overthrow Brazil’s environmental agenda|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2016/12/temer-government-set-to-overthrow-brazils-environmental-agenda/|access-date=2020-12-25|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2018-09-28|title=‘Predatory agribusiness’ likely to gain more power in Brazil election: report|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2018/09/predatory-agribusiness-likely-to-gain-more-power-in-brazil-election-report/|access-date=2020-12-25|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US}} Members of the Rural Bench have come into conflict with indigenous activists due to their support for policies that aim to expand commercial activity in protected indigenous territories.{{Cite web|date=2017-12-27|title=Brazil 2017: environmental and indigenous rollbacks, rising violence|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/brazil-2017-environmental-and-indigenous-rollbacks-rising-violence/|access-date=2020-12-25|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US}} Additionally, the Rural Bench has been noted for supporting the easing of laws aimed at banning modern slavery in Brazil by limiting its definition.{{Cite web|date=2017-10-23|title=Temer guts Brazil’s slavery law, to the applause of elite ruralists|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2017/10/temer-guts-brazils-slavery-law-to-the-applause-of-elite-ruralists/|access-date=2020-12-25|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US}}
Most members of the Rural Bench are considered to be aligned with the broader conservative movement. However, some politicians often associated with the centre-left such as Kátia Abreu, who served as Senator from Tocantins and as Minister of Agriculture under left-wing President Dilma Rousseff, are considered to be associated with the Rural Bench.{{Cite news|last=Jelmayer|first=Jeffrey T. Lewis and Rogerio|date=2014-12-23|title=Brazil’s Rousseff Names Katia Abreu Agriculture Minister|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/brazils-rousseff-names-katia-abreu-agriculture-minister-1419376051|access-date=2020-12-25|issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite web|last=G1|first=Do|last2=Paulo|first2=em São|date=2014-12-23|title=Kátia Abreu foi 1ª mulher a presidir a bancada ruralista no Congresso|url=http://g1.globo.com/economia/noticia/2014/12/katia-abreu-foi-1-mulher-presidir-bancada-ruralista-no-congresso.html|access-date=2020-12-25|website=Economia|language=pt-br}}
File:Tereza Cristina Corrêa da Costa Dias.jpg, who had been a member of the Rural Bench during her time as a federal deputy, served as Minister of Agriculture under Bolsonaro.]]
During the conservative presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, the Rural Bench has generally been supportive of the administration's policies, which have generally aligned with the interests of agribusiness. Since taking office, Tereza Cristina, a member of the conservative Democrats party who had been a member of the Rural Bench during her time as a federal deputy, has served as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply under Bolsonaro. Cristina has been pejoratively labelled "The Poison Muse" for her support for ending some regulations on pesticides in Brazil.{{Cite web|title=Bolsonaro administration approves 197 pesticides in five months|url=https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2019/05/22/bolsonaro-administration-approves-169-pesticides-in-five-months|access-date=2020-12-25|website=Brasil de Fato|language=pt-BR}} Nevertheless, the faction has sometimes broken with the administration, especially with regard to its handling of soybean export policy.{{Cite web|title=Ruralistas aborrecidos com o governo|url=https://brpolitico.com.br/noticias/bancada-ruralista-aborrecimento-governo/|access-date=2020-12-25|website=BR Político|language=pt-br}}