The party was founded as the National Ecological Party (PEN) in 2011. The party was a centre-rightgreen conservative party, originally meant to attract environmentalist politician Marina Silva in case her party did not get the authorization to take part in the 2014 Brazilian general election. This proposal failed and the party obtained a small quantity of votes in the 2014 elections, while endorsing then presidential candidate Aécio Neves.
The acronym PEN was also seen as an abbreviation of Pentecostalism, the evangelical current of PEN founders, than a coherent ideological current. Since the refoundation as Patriota, the party are making more efforts to appeal for a broader Christian electorate, like socially conservative Catholics and traditional Protestants like Baptists and Presbyterians, instead to be a mere political arm of a single church. Not only the acronym was changed, but the ideology was changed too, due to the fact that Bolsonaro sees environmentalists as part of a "conspiracy against Brazil" while his sons Eduardo Bolsonaro and Flávio Bolsonaro are global warming deniers. These two reasons forced the party to change its name and ideology.[13]
After an internal conflict, Bolsonaro gave up on joining Patriota in January 2018 and chose to join the Social Liberal Party in January 2018. Nevertheless, the party maintained the proposal of change of name and statute and the party have spoken in the possibility of two other members of the party applying for the candidacy to the presidency of the republic, these include Adilson Barroso himself and the plastic surgeon Dr. Roberto M. Rey Jr., affiliated to the party since 2014.[14]
In 2018, Patriota launched former firefighter and evangelical pastor Cabo Daciolo as their presidential nominee, without partnering any political party. Daciolo is known for his controversial political views, which include turning Brazil into a Christian theocracy.[15] Daciolo got 1,3% of votes and did not endorse Bolsonaro nor Haddad in the second round.[16]
On 17 December 2018, the Progressive Republican Party merged with Patriota, increasing its representation to nine deputies and one senator.[17] Patriota later joined Bolsonaro's coalition in the Congress.
Due to most members and militants of Patriota being from different Christian branches and racial backgrounds, the party condemned racism and promotes Christian ecumenism, despite this, the party opposes integration with non-Christians, mainly Atheists and Muslims.
The party followed a deep conservative and fundamentalist orientation, being against secularism, abortion, same-sex marriage, LGBT adoption and pro-gender identity policies while referring to it as "gender ideology".[20] But ever since, the party had adopted more controversial stances, including turning Brazil into a theocratic state and replacing the secular 1988 constitution for a religious-oriented one.[21]
Economic policies
The party had ambiguous economic policies.[according to whom?] While embracing economic liberalism, the party opposes foreign interference, mainly by Chinese companies, in the Brazilian economy.
The party supported the privatization of most Brazilian state-owned companies, but also promoted more Brazilian government interference in some sectors, like the mining sector, and opposes the privatization of Petrobras.[22] The party's economic policy could have been seen as supporting a mixed economy.
National security policies
Patriota supported a hard approach against crime and drug trafficking, supporting the lowering of the minimum penal age and favoring life imprisonment and capital punishment.
The party also supported liberal gun policies, favoring the open carry of weapons and favors large investments on the Brazilian Armed Forces.
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