Petrobras was the Brazilian state-controlled company created in 1953 under the slogan “The Oil is Ours.”
The company’s full name is Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., commonly shortened to Petrobras. It was created by the Brazilian government under President Getúlio Vargas on 3 October 1953. Its founding reflected a powerful nationalist campaign arguing that Brazil’s petroleum resources should be controlled and developed for the nation.
The slogan “O petróleo é nosso” became closely associated with that movement. Petrobras initially received a legal monopoly over petroleum activities in Brazil, while the country was still producing only a small amount of crude oil. The company later expanded into refining, petrochemicals, natural gas and offshore exploration.
PDVSA belongs to Venezuela, Petronas to Malaysia and Pemex to Mexico. All are major national oil companies, which makes them plausible distractors, but none is the Brazilian company created in 1953. Petrobras is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro.