# Law No. 3339 of December 14, 1957

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649213](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649213)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3339-of-december-14-1957

## Summary

Law No. 3339 of December 14, 1957 (Lei nº 3339/1957) is a Brazilian federal statute that renamed the Mataripe Refinery to the Landulpho Alves Refinery in the State of Bahia. Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek on December 14, 1957, and published in Rio de Janeiro, this law represents a specific instance of legislative action to designate or rename a public infrastructure facility in Brazil.

## Key Facts

- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3339, de 14 de dezembro de 1957
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3339/1957
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to Brazil (federal law)
- **Publication Date:** December 14, 1957
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President:** Juscelino Kubitschek (at time of promulgation)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **LEXML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-14;3339
- **Main Subject:** Bahia (Estado Da Bahia)
- **Nature of Action:** Naming/Denomination (Denominação) and Alteration (Alteração)
- **Official Text Available At:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3339.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What does Law No. 3339 of December 14, 1957 do?**

Law No. 3339/1957 is a Brazilian federal law that officially renamed the Refinaria de Mataripe (Mataripe Refinery) to Refinaria Landulpho Alves (Landulpho Alves Refinery), located in the State of Bahia, Brazil.

**Who signed Law No. 3339 of December 14, 1957?**

The law was promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek, who served as President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. The law was signed on December 14, 1957.

**Where was Law No. 3339 of 1957 published?**

The law was published in Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of Brazil at the time (the capital was moved to Brasília in 1960).

**What type of legal document is Law No. 3339/1957?**

Law No. 3339 is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. In the Brazilian legal system, a "lei" (law) is a legislative act passed by the National Congress and promulgated by the President.

**What is the subject matter of this law?**

The law's main subject is the State of Bahia, and its purpose falls under the category of "Denominação" (naming/denomination) and "Alteração" (alteration/change), indicating it was specifically enacted to change the official name of an industrial facility.

**Where can the full text of Law No. 3339/1957 be accessed?**

The official text is available through the Brazilian government's legislative database at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3339.htm, which hosts the civil laws from 1950-1969.

## Why It Matters

Law No. 3339 of December 14, 1957 matters as a historical example of Brazilian legislative action during the Kubitschek administration, a period marked by significant industrial development and modernization initiatives in Brazil. The law represents the formal governmental process through which public infrastructure facilities receive official designations—a seemingly routine but legally necessary function of state.

This law demonstrates how the Brazilian federal government exercised its legislative authority to name or rename important industrial facilities during the country's mid-20th century development phase. The renaming of the Mataripe Refinery to Landulpho Alves Refinery reflects the practice of honoring notable figures or establishing distinct brand identities for strategic national assets.

As a statute, Law No. 3339/1957 contributes to the broader corpus of Brazilian statutory law, forming part of the legal framework that governs industrial facilities, their operations, and their identification within the Brazilian legal system. The law remains part of Brazil's legislative history and continues to have legal effect as an active statute, unless subsequently amended or repealed.

## Notable For

- **Historical Significance:** Represents Brazilian legislative action during the Kubitschek era (1956-1961), a period known for ambitious industrial and infrastructure development programs.
- **Naming Function:** Demonstrates the specific legislative mechanism through which Brazilian federal law formally designates or renames public infrastructure facilities.
- **Geographic Focus:** Directly relates to the State of Bahia, one of Brazil's largest and most economically significant states.
- **Legal Classification:** Classified as a statute, placing it within the formal category of written legal documents that create binding law in Brazil.
- **Digital Preservation:** The law remains accessible through official government digital repositories, demonstrating Brazil's efforts to maintain public access to its legislative history.

## Body

### Legislative Context and Origin

Law No. 3339 of December 14, 1957 emerged during the administration of President Juscelino Kubitschek, who served as the President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. This period was characterized by intensive industrialization and infrastructure development, often referred to as the "developmentalist" era of Brazilian history. Kubitschek's government pursued an ambitious agenda of economic modernization, which included significant investments in petroleum refining capacity and other industrial infrastructure.

The law was promulgated on December 14, 1957, in Rio de Janeiro, which served as Brazil's capital at that time. The capital would not move to Brasília until April 22, 1960. As a federal law ("lei federal"), Law No. 3339 carried the full weight of executive authority and represented the formal exercise of legislative power at the national level.

### Legal Nature and Classification

Law No. 3339 is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. In the Brazilian legal system, a "lei" constitutes primary legislation enacted by the National Congress (Congresso Nacional) and subsequently promulgated by the President of the Republic. This classification places the law within the broader category of statutory law ("direito statutory"), as distinguished from regulations, decrees, and other normative acts.

The law's instance as a statute means it carries the force of binding legal authority, establishing rights, obligations, or legal statuses—in this case, the official designation of a specific industrial facility. Statutes in Brazil are distinguished from other legal instruments by their formal process of creation through legislation, which involves deliberation and approval by the legislative branch before promulgation by the executive.

### Subject Matter and Purpose

The primary purpose of Law No. 3339/1957 was to formally rename the Refinaria de Mataripe (Mataripe Refinery) to Refinaria Landulpho Alves (Landulpho Alves Refinery). This legislative action falls under the categories of "Denominação" (naming or denomination) and "Alteração" (alteration or change), indicating that the law specifically addressed the official designation of the facility.

The law's main subject is the State of Bahia (Estado da Bahia), located in northeastern Brazil. Bahia is one of Brazil's most populous states and possesses significant industrial capacity, particularly in the petroleum and petrochemical sectors. The Mataripe Refinery, located in the Recôncavo Baiano region, has historically represented a critical component of Brazil's refining infrastructure.

### Institutional Framework

The law was enacted through the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, representing the exercise of executive authority in conjunction with legislative processes. The specific approval by President Juscelino Kubitschek on December 14, 1957, reflects the standard procedure for federal legislation in Brazil, whereby laws require presidential promulgation to take effect.

The law applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil as a whole, though its specific effects are concentrated in the State of Bahia. As a federal statute, it supersedes any conflicting state or municipal legislation on the matter of the refinery's official designation.

### Documentation and Preservation

Law No. 3339/1957 is documented in Brazil's official legislative databases and remains accessible for consultation. The official text is available through the Presidency's legislative database at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3339.htm, which maintains archives of Brazilian civil laws from 1950-1969.

The law is identified by the LEXML Brazil ID: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-14;3339, which provides a standardized identifier for legal documents within Brazil's legal information infrastructure. LEXML serves as the national platform for legal document management and dissemination.

The law is also recognized within the context of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its inclusion in collaborative efforts to document and organize information about Brazilian legislation on Wikimedia platforms.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts

As a statute, Law No. 3339 exemplifies the concept of a statute as defined in legal theory—a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. The law represents a specific manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system, demonstrating how legislative authority is exercised to address particular factual circumstances (in this case, the naming of an industrial facility).

The law exists within a hierarchical structure of Brazilian law, with the Constitution of Brazil (currently the 1988 Constitution) at the apex, followed by complementary laws, ordinary laws (such as Law No. 3339), decrees, and other normative instruments. While Law No. 3339 has not been identified as having been repealed, it would be subject to constitutional principles and potentially affected by subsequent legislation on related matters.

### Historical Context of the Facility

The Mataripe Refinery (now Landulpho Alves Refinery) is located in the Recôncavo Baiano region of Bahia, an area with significant petroleum reserves discovered in the early 20th century. The refinery represents Brazil's historical efforts to develop domestic refining capacity to process crude oil extracted from Bahian oil fields. The decision to rename the facility through federal legislation reflects the strategic importance assigned to such infrastructure during Brazil's industrialization process.

The Landulpho Alves Refinery remains an important facility in Brazil's petroleum sector, contributing to the country's refining capacity and energy security. The legislative renaming of the facility established its official designation in law, creating legal certainty regarding its identity for regulatory, commercial, and administrative purposes.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-14;3339)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3339&ano=1957&data=14/12/1957&ato=69fc3YE1kMNRVT2d0)
3. LexML Brasil