1997 in Brazil

Events in the year 1997 in Brazil.

Federal government

 * President: Fernando Henrique Cardoso
 * Vice President: Marco Maciel

Governors

 * Acre: Orleir Messias Cameli
 * Alagoas:
 * Divaldo Suruagy (till 17 July)
 * Manoel Gomes de Barros (Mano) (from 17 July)
 * Amapa: João Capiberibe
 * Amazonas: Amazonino Mendes
 * Bahia: Paulo Souto
 * Ceará: Tasso Jereissati
 * Espírito Santo: Vitor Buaiz
 * Goiás: Maguito Vilela
 * Maranhão: Roseana Sarney
 * Mato Grosso: Dante de Oliveira
 * Mato Grosso do Sul: Wilson Barbosa Martins
 * Minas Gerais: Eduardo Brandão Azeredo
 * Pará: Almir Gabriel
 * Paraíba: José Maranhão
 * Paraná: Jaime Lerner
 * Pernambuco: Miguel Arraes
 * Piauí: Mão Santa
 * Rio de Janeiro: Marcello Alencar
 * Rio Grande do Norte: Garibaldi Alves Filho
 * Rio Grande do Sul: Antônio Britto
 * Rondônia: Valdir Raupp de Mattos
 * Roraima: Neudo Ribeiro Campos
 * Santa Catarina: Paulo Afonso Vieira
 * São Paulo: Mário Covas
 * Sergipe: Albano Franco
 * Tocantins: José Wilson Siqueira Campos

Vice governors

 * Acre: Labib Murad
 * Alagoas:
 * Manuel Gomes de Barros (until 17 July)
 * Vacant (starting 17 July)
 * Amapá: Antônio Hildegardo Gomes de Alencar
 * Amazonas:
 * Alfredo Pereira do Nascimento (until 17 July)
 * Vacant (starting 17 July)
 * Bahia: César Borges
 * Ceará: Moroni Bing Torgan
 * Espírito Santo: José Renato Casagrande
 * Goiás: Naphtali Alves de Souza
 * Maranhão: José Reinaldo Carneiro Tavares
 * Mato Grosso: José Márcio Panoff de Lacerda
 * Mato Grosso do Sul: Vacant
 * Minas Gerais: Walfrido Silvino dos Mares Guia Neto
 * Pará: Hélio Mota Gueiros Júnior
 * Paraíba: Vacant
 * Paraná: Emília de Sales Belinati
 * Pernambuco: Jorge José Gomes
 * Piauí: Osmar Antônio de Araújo
 * Rio de Janeiro: Luiz Paulo Correa da Rocha
 * Rio Grande do Norte: Fernando Freire
 * Rio Grande do Sul: Vicente Joaquim Bogo
 * Rondônia: Aparício Carvalho de Moraes
 * Roraima: Airton Antonio Soligo
 * Santa Catarina: José Augusto Hülse
 * São Paulo: Geraldo Alckmin
 * Sergipe: José Carlos Machado
 * Tocantins: Raimundo Nonato Pires dos Santos

January

 * January 25: Guilherme de Pádua is sentenced to 19 years in prison for the 1992 murder of actress Daniella Perez.

March

 * March 31: A Jornal Nacional report on TV Globo, shows images of military police officers from São Paulo caught attacking residents of Favela Naval, in Diadema, during a blitz they carried out there. Mario José Josino died from a gunshot to the back of the head.

April

 * April 5: The program Planeta Xuxa premiers on TV Globo.
 * April 20: Galdino Jesus dos Santos, a Pataxó native, is murdered by five students from Brasilia after celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day.

May

 * May 6: The company Vale do Rio Doce is privatized and sold to Consórcio Brasil, led by CSN, for R$3.3 billion.

June

 * June 29: Brazil defeats Bolivia 3-1, to win their fifth Copa America trophy.

October

 * October 2: Pope John Paul II visits Rio de Janeiro to participate in the 2nd World Meeting with Families.

December

 * December 21: Brazil defeats Australia 6-0 to win the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.

February

 * February 26: Malcom, professional footballer

March

 * March 3: David Neres, professional footballer
 * March 10: Gabi Nunes, professional footballer
 * March 23: Thiago Maia, professional footballer

April

 * April 3: Gabriel Jesus, professional footballer

May

 * May 10: Richarlison, professional footballer

August

 * August 9: Luisa Stefani, professional tennis player
 * August 27: Lucas Paquetá, professional footballer

November

 * November 16: Bruno Guimarães, professional footballer

December

 * December 21: Pedro Sampaio, music and producer

February

 * February 2: Chico Science, singer and composer (b. 1966)
 * February 17: Darcy Ribeiro, anthropologist and politician (b. 1922)

April

 * April 11: Castor de Andrade, mobster (b. 1926)

May

 * May 2: Paulo Freire, philosopher (b. 1921)

August

 * August 9: Herbert de Souza, activist and sociologist (b. 1935)