January 15, 2004 Former President of Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Speaks at the Library of Congress on January 23

His Excellency Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil, will speak on "Latin America and Iberia: Yesterday and Tomorrow," at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, in Room LJ 119, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. This event, presented by the Library's Hispanic Division and the John W. Kluge Center, provides an opportunity for President Cardoso to speak to the Washington academic community. The event is free and open to the public; however, space is limited, and those wishing to attend are asked to call (202) 707-3302, in advance to register.

Cardoso, who is currently Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Kluge Center, was president of the Federal Republic of Brazil for two terms, from Jan. 1, 1995, to Jan. 1, 2003. He was elected to the Brazilian senate from the state of Sao Paulo in 1986, and two years later he helped to found the Social Democratic party. Later, he served as foreign minister and, as economy minister, he was credited with successfully controlling inflation and turning around the troubled Brazilian economy. Elected president in 1994, Cardoso was able to reduce government involvement in the economy and to attract foreign investment to Brazil.

A leading Latin American sociologist, Cardoso has been a visiting professor at various academic centers in Europe and the United Sates, including the Collège de France, the University of Paris, the University of Cambridge and Stanford University. He is the author of many books, including "Capitalismo e escravidão no Brasil meridional: o negro na sociedade escravocrata do Rio Grande do Sul" (2003); Charting a New Course : The Politics of Globalization and Social Transformation (2001); and "Economia e movimentos sociais na América Latina" (1985). His books on sociology, political science and international relations have been translated into several languages, including English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Romanian.

A generous endowment from John W. Kluge in 2000 enabled the Library of Congress to establish the John W. Kluge Center, to bring together the world's best thinkers to stimulate, energize and distill wisdom from the Library's rich resources and to interact with policymakers in Washington, D.C. For information about the fellowships, grants and programs offered by the center, contact the Office of Scholarly Programs, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, DC 20540-4860; telephone (202) 707-3302, fax (202) 707-3595, or visit the Web at www.loc.gov/kluge.

For more information about the collections and activities of the Library's Hispanic Division, visit its Web site at www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/.