Brasília, April 22, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Brazilian leaders are among the most optimistic in Latin America, according to a report on democracy in the continent, released yesterday (21) by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The study, which was conducted in 2002, queried 19 thousand citizens and 231 leaders in Latin America about the situation in the region over the last 20 years.

Among the leaders interviewed in the 18 countries that participated in the study, the Brazilians are among the most optimistic, with regard to both improvements in the conditions necessary for democracy and satisfaction with the progress already achieved. The Brazilian elites, along with those from Honduras, Mexico, Bolivia, and Paraguay, are among the ones who consider that the level of political participation has grown in the recent period.

According to the report, one of the factors feeding this optimism was the 2002 Presidential election. "For one of the respondents, the election of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who rose from utter poverty in Northeast Brazil to reach the country's highest position, helps to reinforce the atmosphere of confidence in democracy."

The study also shows that the optimism of Brazilian leaders does not extend to the performance of political parties. The majority of those consulted considered the party organizations unsatisfactory in carrying out their institutional role in a democracy.

Translator: David Silberstein