Tancredo Neves: youth, political career, death

Tancredosnows he was an important Brazilian politician who consolidated his political trajectory during the Fourth Republic. Lawyer, he served as a deputy and was even appointed prime minister. During the Military Dictatorship, he acted in the political opposition and managed to be elected senator and governor of Minas Gerais.

He was one of the big names in politics that supported the redemocratization of Brazil. He participated in the Direct now, but with the defeat of the amendment, he launched himself into the dispute for the Electoral College. In 1985 he was elected president of Brazil, but health problems led to his death and his vice-president, José Sarney, was sworn in.

See more:Getúlio Vargas: the trajectory of one of the great characters of Brazil in the 20th century

Youth

Tancredo de Almeida Neves was born in the city of São João del-Rei, on March 4, 1910. he was the fifth child of Francisco de Paula Neves, “Seu Chiquito”, and Antonina de Almeida Neves, the “Dona Sinha”. His father was a small merchant who managed to provide a decent living condition for his family. In all, he had 11 siblings.

Tancredo joined the school in 1917, enrolling in Grupo Escolar João dos Santos, a traditional school in his city. From 1921 onwards, he entered Colégio Santo Antônio, and remained there until 1927. Tancredo considered himself an average student, and in his youth, he had a taste for politics and football, besides being very religious|1|.

After finishing his basic education, Tancredo Neves had to choose the professional career he would follow. His family faced financial problems arising from the death of his father, and he decided to pursue a career that would bring him financial return.

He tried to do engineering in Ouro Preto, but gave up because he didn't like the city's lifestyle. He then tried to enter the Escola Naval in Rio de Janeiro, but was not approved. He then tried to get into the Faculty of Medicine, but that too failed. Finally, he studied at law School so that he would not be left without any occupation.

In Belo Horizonte, Tancredo had to support himself to get his training. During the four years of the course, he worked as a clerk, was approved in a competition for the Secretary of Education and, finally, he worked as a journalist at the State of Minas. He graduated in Law in 1932.

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political career

Tancredo's interest in politics dates back to his youth, and in 1930 he supported the 1930 revolutionin Brazil. During the 1930 election, he supported Vargas' candidacy, but with the defeat and the idea of ​​revolution spreading across the country, he actively participated in this event, engaging in caravans for his state.

In 1932, he participated in demonstrations against the Vargas government and in support of the constitutionalists who rebelled in São Paulo. Was arrested at that same time. In 1933, he joined the Progressive Party under the influence of Augusto Viegas, known as his political godfather in Minas Gerais.

In 1935, Tancredo Neves elected councilor from his hometown, São João del-Rei, obtaining 195 votes. Along with 15 other councilors, he took office and was chosen as president of the Chamber. Due to the coup of the new state, had your term revoked in 1937, and, until 1946, he dedicated himself to the profession of law.

Fourth Republic

Tancredo Neves (in the center) was one of the leading politicians of the Fourth Republic and dealt with two major political crises. [1]

In the 1940s, the dictatorship of Getulio Vargas began to lose strength and the redemocratization movement in Brazil began to grow. Vargas himself, realizing the country's new political reality, made some democratic guarantees, but this did not save him from losing power, being deposed in October 1945.

During this period, new political parties emerged, and Tancredo Neves joined theSocial Democratic Party (PSD). In 1945 he did not participate in the elections, but in 1947 he ran for state deputy. The Minas Gerais politician was elected, participating in the drafting of a new Constitution for Minas Gerais.

In 1950, Tancredo pledged to ensure the election of Juscelino Kubitschek as governor of Minas Gerais. He was also involved with Cristiano Machado's candidacy for the presidency, as well as running for federal deputy. He was elected with a total of 11,515 votes|2|. Want to know more about this context? Read: Fourth Republic.

Second Government of Vargas

Between 1951 and 1953, Tancredo Neves served on the Transport, Communications and Public Works Commission and on the Constitution and Justice Commission|3|. In June 1953, Vargas decided, together with Juscelino Kubitschek, governor of Minas Gerais, nominate Tancredo asministergivesJustice.

Thus, on June 26, 1953, Tancredo Neves took office in the midst of an intense political crisis. Journalist José Augusto Ribeiro claims that Vargas gave Tancredo as a mission to manage to articulate the candidacy of Juscelino Kubitschek for the presidency and weaken the proposal of the governor of Pernambuco, Etelvino Lins, to bring UDN and PSD closer against the PTB. Finally, it was his role to weaken the coup tide against the president|4|.

Tancredo was still minister of justice when another huge crisis broke out. In August 1954, the president's greatest opponent, Carlos Lacerda, suffered a outrage which resulted in the death of his bodyguard, Air Force Major Rubens Vaz. When he got the message of what had happened, he understood that it was an unprecedented crisis.

Also access:Populism: one of the political concepts most associated with the Fourth Republic

Tancredo acted politically to prove Vargas' innocence in the investigations conducted by the military to clarify the attack on Lacerda. The action of the military in the investigations of the case, even went beyond the president's authority. Tancredo Neves also played a crucial role in exonerating Luther, the president's son.

The crisis, however, had a tragic outcome. On August 24, 1954, Getúlio Vargas committed suicide shooting at his own chest. That was his drastic measure to deal with the political crisis that befell him.

Before the suicide, Tancredo had suggested dealing with the scammers, imprisoning them and decreeing a state of siege, according to the guarantees given by the Constitution of 1946, but this opinion was not considered. At Vargas' wake, Tancredo Neves spoke reinforcing the support that the state of Minas Gerais had given him.

before the coup

Tancredo Neves was one of the great articulators of the campaign that elected Juscelino Kubitschek as president of Brazil in 1955. [1]

After Vargas' suicide, Tancredo Neves and other members of the PSD continued Getúlio's own plans for the presidential succession. It was decided to choose Juscelino Kubitschek, and Tancredo was directly involved in the election campaign of the then governor of Minas Gerais for the presidency. As he did not resign from the Ministry of Justice, Tancredo cannot run for re-election as a deputy, but, afterJK win, he was appointed to take on administrative positions at Banco de Crédito Real de Minas Gerais and for the Discount Portfolio of Banco do Brasil. Tancredo also took over as Secretary of Finance of Minas Gerais. In 1960, he disputed the gubernatorial election and it was defeated by Magalhães Pinto, UDN politician.

During the succession crisis, caused by the resignation of Janio Quadros As president, Tancredo politically articulated his support for the establishment of parliamentarism to prevent a military coup from taking place. He even traveled to Uruguay to propose this idea to João Goulart.

Once the issue was resolved, João Goulart was sworn in as president on September 7, 1961, and Tancredo Neves was appointed by him to the post of prime minister of Brazil. Tancredo took over as Prime Minister on September 8, 1961 and remained in office until July 1962. Questioning the parliamentary system and the possibility of electing himself a deputy, however, made him resign. In that year's election, he won more than 58,000 votes, re-electing himself as federal deputy.

DictatorshipMilitary

Tancredo Neves actively participated in the government of João Goulart and supported him throughout the crisis that dragged on through 1963 and 1964. Like military coup held from March to April 1964, he continued to support Jango, and when the election came for the indirect choice of the new president, refused to vote for Castello Branco.

Tancredo did not have his mandate as a deputy revoked, and this is attributed to the fact that he had good political articulation with the military. Other party mates, like JK, were not so lucky. President Castello Branco demanded that Tancredo join Arena, the military's party, but he refused and joined the opposition party, the MDB.

During the entire period of the Dictatorship, Tancredo was always re-elected federal deputy by the MDB. He was part of a moderate wing of the opposition which advocated more conciliatory postures, including dialogue with the military. With the political opening of Brazil, there was a return to multipartyism, and thus Tancredo Neves articulated the creation of the Popular Party (PP), but shortly thereafter, this party was incorporated by the PMDB.

In 1978, Tancredo was elected senator by Minas Gerais for eight years, and, in 1982, elected governorfrom the same state by defeating Eliseu Resende with just over 2.6 million votes. In 1983, it was articulated that he would be the nominee of the opposition to the military for the dispute of the Electoral College of 1985, which would determine the new president of Brazil. If you are more curious about the topic, read our text: Military dictatorship.

1985 Election

Tancredo Neves toured the entire country during the Electoral College campaign in 1985. [1]

In the same year it was proposed to Dante de Oliveira Amendment, a measure that determined the return of the direct presidential election in Brazil. THE Direct Now Campaign it was extremely popular and toured the entire country. Tancredo Neves supported Diretas Já, but he knew that his chances of becoming president would be greater at the Electoral College, since, in direct voting, Ulysses Guimarães was more popular.

With the defeat of the amendment, the opposition tried to reorganize itself to dispute the Electoral College. Tancredo Neves played a crucial role in the negotiations that led a dissident wing of the PDS to support his candidacy. The appointment of José Sarney (former president of the PDS) as deputy was a clear indication of this.

On January 15, 1985, the result came out: Tancredo Neves had been elected president with 480 votes. The party spread throughout the country, as his candidacy was supported by a large part of the Brazilian population. In his victory speech, Tancredo stated:

With ecstasy and the terror of having been chosen […], I give myself, today, to the service of the Nation. Let's not scatter. Let's continue together, as in public squares, with the same emotion, the same dignity and the same decision. If we all want, Tiradentes, that hero maddened with hope, told us nearly 200 years ago, we can make this country a great Nation. Let's do it!|5|.

know more: Collor Government: one of the most controversial governments in the New Republic

Death

After the victory, Tancredo began preparations for the composition of the new Brazilian government. The inauguration of the new president was scheduled for the day March 15, 1985, but weeks before her, Tancredo had been suffering from painssharp in the abdomen region. Fearful that his health problem could be used as an excuse by the military to stop him, he hid it.

He refused to go to a hospital, because he knew that the military government would know. So he resorted to a private service, at his house, and doses of antibiotics for a supposed picture of appendicitis. Tancredo intended to continue in this way until the inauguration, and, once made official in the position, he would seek medical help for an eventual surgery. The medical opinion indicated a infection acute, and he should be operated on as soon as possible.

On the night of March 14, Tancredo Neves went hospitalizedin a hurry at the DF Base Hospital. There was confusion in their treatment, and the conditions of care were not ideal. Meanwhile, Ulysses Guimarães articulated the Possession of José Sarney until the prompt recovery of Tancredo.

After days of hospitalization, first in Brasília and then in São Paulo, and sevensurgeries, Tancredo Neves died on April 21, 1985. The cause of his pain and which led to his death was a tumor. Tancredo's death was a huge blow to Brazil, and the presidency finally fell into the lap of José Sarney, a former supporter of the military.

Tancredo Neves' body was buried in São Paulo and buried in his hometown, São João del-Rei.

Grades

|1| RIBEIRO, José Augusto. Tancredo Neves: the night of fate. Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Civilization, 2015, p. 24-28.

|2| Idem, p. 63.

|3| Idem, p. 69.

|4| Idem, p. 82-83.

|5| Idem, p.596-597.

Image credits

[1]FGV/CPDOC

By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher