Recife Brazil Even today, in the 21st century, many of Brazil's politicians continue to make decisions that determine the future of the country from offices located in palaces built by colonisers. The governor of Pernambuco, for example, runs the state from the Palácio do Campo das Princesas, a pompous building constructed in 1841 from a design by the renowned Portuguese architect and military officer Morai Âncora.