João de Oliveira Mendonça

From Roach Busters

João de Oliveira Mendonça
President of Brazil
Term start	January 1, 2003
Term end	Incumbent
Preceded by	Enzo Martins Peri
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Date of birth	December 10, 1932 (age 75)
Place of birth	Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Spouse	Anneliese Mendonça (née Banzer)
Profession	Military officer, politician
Political party	National Renewal Alliance Party (ARENA)
Religion	Roman Catholic (lapsed)
Languages	Portuguese, German, English, Spanish

General João de Oliveira Mendonça (born December 10, 1932) is the current President of the Republic of the United States of Brazil. Perceived as a moderate and pragmatist, he was nominated for the presidency to placate both the Brazilian Democratic Movement (Brazil's only legal opposition party) and the Confederate States of Latin America (Brazil's neighbor, with which Brazil has an uneasy relationship). Though an avid reader with an extensive knowledge of politics, Mendonça is well known for his open contempt of the political process and for his "cordial dislike" of politicians. Reportedly, it took much badgering and cajoling by the military government to convince him to serve as President.

During his term in office, he has pursued a generally successful détente with the Confederate States of Latin America, eliminated Brazil's few remaining tariffs, and somewhat relaxed the government's iron grip on society, while still fiercely resisting any attempts at democratization.

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Family

Mendonça's wife, Anneliese, teaches a chemical engineering course at the Universidade Católica de Brasília. She is three years his junior, and both she and her husband remain in excellent health. Her interests include bird-watching, chemistry, Bible reading, and dining. Both she and Mendonça speak fluent Portuguese, German, and English. He speaks passable Spanish, while she can speak it fluently. She also speaks fluent Dutch, and is an intermediate speaker of a few indigenous Brazilian languages.

Their children are Pablo (b. 1960), an Army captain; Baltasar (b. 1963), a chemical engineer; Marisa (b. 1969), a pianist; and João, Jr. (b. 1973), an Army medic. They have seventeen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Personal

Mendonça's hobbies are hunting, fishing, hiking, equestrianism, camping, rock-climbing, swimming, and reading. His interests are music and history. He is rumored to be an amateur practitioner of capoeira.

He is a strict teetotaler, he has never drunk alcohol or smoked a cigarette in his life. While he believes in God, he is a lapsed Catholic, and is said to visit church only rarely.

He was successfully treated for prostate cancer in 2001. Even at 75, he is in peak physical condition, and he is more fit than most men half his age. His intellect is as sharp as ever.