# Dilma Rousseff

_36th President of Brazil (2011-2016), 3rd President of the New Development Bank (BRICS)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/dilma-rousseff
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Dilma Vana Rousseff (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈdʒiwmɐ ˈvɐ̃nɐ ʁuˈsɛf(i)] ; born 14 December 1947), often known mononymously as Dilma, is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the only woman to have held the Brazilian presidency to date. Since March 2023, she has been the chair of the New Development Bank. She also served in the cabinet of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his first presidency—first as Minister of Mines and Energy, from 2003 to 2005, then as Chief of Staff from 2005 to 2010.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 14 December 1947 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Belo Horizonte ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Brazil ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P27))
- **Occupation:** economist; politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P106))
- **Political party:** Workers' Party; Democratic Labour Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P102))
- **Education:** Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul; University of Campinas ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P69))
- **Spouse:** Cláudio Linhares; Carlos Araújo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P26))
- **Official website:** dilma.com.br ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P856))
- **Positions held:** President of Brazil (1 January 2015 – 31 August 2016); President-elect of Brazil (26 October 2014 – 31 December 2014); President of Brazil (1 January 2011 – 31 December 2014); Chief of Staff of the Presidency Brazil (1 January 2007 – 31 December 2010); Chief of Staff of the Presidency Brazil (21 June 2005 – 31 December 2006); Minister of Mines and Energy (1 January 2003 – 21 June 2005); state secretary of Rio Grande do Sul (1 January 1999 – 2 November 2002); state secretary of Rio Grande do Sul (1 December 1993 – 31 December 1994); municipal secretary of Porto Alegre (1 January 1986 – 24 September 1988) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P39))
- **Awards:** Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic‎; Bertha Lutz Prize; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru; Order of Rio Branco; Order of Naval Merit; Order of Stara Planina; Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross; Order of the Southern Cross; Order of Aeronautical Merit; Order of the Aztec Eagle; Order of the Sun of Peru; Friendship Medal; Order of Military Merit; Order of Isabella the Catholic‎; Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P166))
- **X (Twitter):** dilmabr ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P2002))
- **Facebook:** DilmaRousseff ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P2013))
- **Instagram:** dilmarousseff ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P2003))
- **YouTube:** UCdserdwuGjgN48tNZ2b5cGQ ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722#P2397))

## About

Rousseff was raised in an upper middle class household in Belo Horizonte. She became a socialist in her youth. After the 1964 coup d'état, she joined left-wing and Marxist urban guerrilla groups that fought against the military dictatorship. Rousseff was captured, tortured, and jailed from 1970 to 1972.

After her release, Rousseff rebuilt her life in Porto Alegre with her husband Carlos Araújo. They both helped to found the Democratic Labour Party (PDT) in Rio Grande do Sul, and participated in several of the party's electoral campaigns. She became the treasury secretary of Porto Alegre under Alceu Collares, and later Secretary of Energy of Rio Grande do Sul under both Collares and Olívio Dutra. In 2001, after an internal dispute in the Dutra cabinet, she left the PDT and joined the Workers' Party (PT).

In 2002, Rousseff became an energy policy advisor to presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who on winning the election invited her to become his minister of energy. After Chief of Staff José Dirceu resigned in 2005 in a political crisis triggered by the Mensalão corruption scandal, Rousseff became chief of staff and remained in that post until 31 March 2010, when she stepped down to run for president. She was elected in a run-off in 2010, beating…

## Questions

**When was Dilma Rousseff born?**  
Dilma Rousseff was born on 14 December 1947 in Belo Horizonte.

**What positions has Dilma Rousseff held?**  
Positions held by Dilma Rousseff include: President of Brazil (2015–2016); President-elect of Brazil (2014–2014); President of Brazil (2011–2014); Chief of Staff of the Presidency Brazil (2007–2010); Chief of Staff of the Presidency Brazil (2005–2006).

**Where did Dilma Rousseff study?**  
Dilma Rousseff was educated at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, University of Campinas.

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- [Jair Bolsonaro](https://diginpl.com/people/jair-bolsonaro)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Dilma Rousseff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilma_Rousseff) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): डिलमा रौसेफ](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AB) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q40722](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40722) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: 04-06-2024 Reunião com a Presidente do Novo Banco de Desenvolvimento Dilma Rousseff (53769684843) (cropped).jpg by Vice-Presidência da República (CC BY 2.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:04-06-2024_Reuni%C3%A3o_com_a_Presidente_do_Novo_Banco_de_Desenvolvimento_Dilma_Rousseff_(53769684843)_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Dilma Rousseff, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: 04-06-2024 Reunião com a Presidente do Novo Banco de Desenvolvimento Dilma Rousseff (53769684843) (cropped).jpg — Vice-Presidência da República, CC BY 2.0.

## Cite this page

"Dilma Rousseff". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/dilma-rousseff. Retrieved 5 November 2026.