Brasília - Among the various problems extant today in Brazil's federal structure, the question of regional inequalities is the most noteworthy, affirms Vicente Trevas, secretary of Federative Matters of the Presidency of the Republic. "I am convinced that the Brazilian federation needs to amplify its instruments of federal coordination and cooperation," he declared, yesterday (7).

Federalism is the system that establishes a division of responsibilities and autonomy among federal, state, and municipal governments. At present, federalism is practiced by only a few countries on the American continent. In South America, for example, only Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela adopt this governmental model. In Trevas's opinion, "federalism is the most adequate structure to oversee a country of continental dimensions like Brazil, with significant regional differences and disparities."

The federal experience of the United States is the oldest. "It is always a reference when nations decide to follow the path of federalism," he says. However, despite having been influenced by American forms, the Brazilian model has its peculiarities, Trevas observes. "Brazil is the only federation that dared to constitute its municipalities as a third level of the federation. The Brazilian federation is triple-layered, that is, it is made up of the Union, the states, and the municipalities," Trevas said. He participated in the International Conference on Democracy, Participation, Citizenship, and Federalism, which ended on Friday (03), in Brasília.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Monique Colares
Translator: David Silberstein
12/08/2004