FERNANDO COLLOR GREETS ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD BEFORE IMPEACHMENT, 1999-10-21 (photo)

FOR RELEASE WITH STORY PEOPLE-BRAZIL-COLLOR - Former President Fernando Collor de Mello greets an enthusiastic crowd outside Planalto Palace in Brasilia while he was still Brazil's head-of-state. Less than a decade after he was forced out of office, Collor is back in the political spotlight with his bid for mayor of Sao Paulo in the 2000 elections. The 50-year-old politician hopes the election will be a step on the way back to the 2006 presidential election. Collor was banned from seeking office for eight years in 1992 when he stepped down just before the Congress voted to impeach him for alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar influence-peddling scheme. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court, citing a lack of evidence linking him to the crimes. Picture taken March, 1991. GN/JP