"Direct now" was a popular political movement that aimed to resumption of direct elections to the position of President of the Republic in Brazil.
The Diretas movement started in May 1983 and lasted until 1984, having mobilized millions of people in rallies and marches.
It was attended by political parties, representatives of civil society, artists and intellectuals. Despite being marked by significant popular appeal, the process of direct elections only took place in 1989.
That is, 29 years after the election of the last president, on October 3, 1960.
Rally for direct elections. Praça da Sé in São Paulo
Summary
During the period in which the acts of holding direct elections broke out, Brazil was governed by the military dictatorship. The military coup initiated with the 1964 coup vetoed voter participation in choosing the president and state governors.
During the coup, the National Congress it was closed and the choice of president and governors was the responsibility of a military junta.
After the promulgation of the 1967 Constitution, the choice of the president started to occur through the vote of the Electoral College.
These were called indirect elections. From 1979 onwards, the military government began the process of resuming democracy with the Amnesty Law.
the general João Baptista Figueiredo he was the last president of the military regime. He determined that the opening of the country would take place slowly and gradually.
It was only in 1982 that direct elections for governor resumed. In this period of history, Brazil had four political parties in the opposition.
They were the PMDB (Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement), PT (Workers' Party), PDT (Democratic Labor Party) and PTB (Brazilian Labor Party).
Amendment by Dante de Oliveira and the Diretas Já
Deputy Dante de Oliveira, author of the Diretas Já amendment
In the perspective of direct elections, the Mato Grosso deputy Dante de Oliveira presented in 1983 a constitutional amendment. The proposal also provided for the end of the Electoral College. If approved, direct voting would take place in the 1985 elections.
Among the movement's main articulators was federal deputy Ulisses Guimarães. In May 1983, the congressman promoted a debate in the auditorium of Goiânia. The act was a trigger for rallies that swept the country.
The movement translated the Brazilian people's dissatisfaction with the political persecution and economic inefficiency of the military government.
In 1983, inflation reached 211%, the external debt compromised a good part of the country's wealth and the oil crisis drove investors away. Amidst debates for the succession, General João Figueiredo leaves the selection process in January 1984. The departure took place days after a rally promoted by the PT in Olinda and another in Curitiba.
The strategy used for the movement to appear in the mainstream media was the payment of advertising insertions during breaks in Jornal Nacional, on Rede Globo. Thirty thousand people attended the rally in Curitiba, on January 5th.
Rallies and marches were also held in Camboriú (SC), on January 14th, and Salvador, on January 20th. The acts brought together 3 thousand and 15 thousand people respectively. The popular appeal increased with the participation of 200 thousand people in a rally held on January 25, at Praça da Sé, in São Paulo.
The act brought together the main pro-direct political leaders. Leonel Brizola, Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro (PDT-RJ), Ulisses Guimarães and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, among others, were present.
Actors and musicians such as Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento and Fernanda Montenegro were also on stage. From this act, rallies were held throughout Brazil, always with a large number of participants.
In addition to the streets, participants were also able to follow the intention of voting by congressmen for the amendment by Dante de Oliveira.
In February, the "Placar das Diretas" was installed in Praça da Sé. The March to Brasília, a caravan to accompany the vote in the Federal Capital, is also started.
The act with the greatest concentration of direct supporters took place in Rio de Janeiro, on April 10th. In six hours, a million people heard the supporters of the resumption of direct voting at a rally held in Candelária.
Conclusion
Politicians and artists divided the stage into various acts until May 25, when Dante de Oliveira's amendment was voted on.
The session was one of intense movement and tension. Even so, the Chamber of Deputies did not approve the amendment and the elections that year did not have the participation of the people.
Redemocratization and Directs Now
With the defeat, it was up to the movement's articulators to negotiate the end of the military regime. From the articulation of governors of the Northeast, the name of Tancredo Neves was nominated for the position of president. The internal dispute took place against the candidate from São Paulo, Paulo Maluf.
The indirect election of Tancredo Neves takes place in 1985, marking the end of the military dictatorship begun in 1964. Tancredo does not take over, dying before taking office. In his place, José Sarney governs.
Painted Faces and the Fora Collor
At the end of the Sarney government, presidential elections take place in 1989. The election is marked by the victory of Fernando Collor de Mello.
Collor's government is marked by a series of allegations of corruption. Once again, public acts take to the streets in a movement that became known as painted faces.
Collor resigns in the midst of an impeachment process and his vice-president, Itamar Franco, takes over.
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