The president Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira he had to face the conservative forces of the Armed Forces since the beginning of his term, on January 31, 1956. Air force groups close to National Democratic Union (UDN) politicians accused the elected president of being close to the country's leftist forces and that this could pave the way for the process of transforming Brazil into a country communist. To avoid this supposed left-wing of the country, a group of Air Force officers rebelled against JK's election and occupied, in February 1955, the area base of Jacareacanga, in the south of Pará, starting what became known as Jacareacanga Revolt.
This event was one of the facts that evidenced the political influence that the Brazilian Armed Forces have always exerted in History of the country, since, at least, the War in Paraguay, pointing out the difficulty in facing corporatism in this institution. military.
The Jacareacanga Revolt was directly linked to the 1955 elections, won by JK and João Goulart, in November of the same year. The duo, who were part of the PSD-PTB ticket, had triumphed over UDN politicians, to which part of the Air Force officers was linked.
These did not accept the result of the elections and tried to prevent the inauguration, first on November 11, 1955, with the attempt to overthrow President Café Filho and bring Carlos Luz to power. This action was prevented by the Minister of War, Henrique Lott, in what became known as the November 11th Movement. The minister decreed a state of siege and prevented the coup d'état, obtaining the deposition of Carlos Luz by the National Congress.
JK was sworn in, but he could not avoid another attempt to remove him from power. In order to create a focus against the new government and trying to prevent reprisals for participating in the action of November 11, 1955, Air Force officers, Major Harold Veloso and the captain José Chaves Lameirão, they revolted against the government. On a flight that left Campo dos Afonsos, in Rio de Janeiro, on February 10, 1956, the two officers diverted the route and headed to Jacareacanga air base, in the south of Pará, where they disembarked and formed their headquarters.
The Jacareacanga Revolt lasted 19 days. In this short period, the revolting officers managed to dominate the cities of Santarém, Itaituba, Aragarças and Belterra, which were located close to the air base. The popular support received strengthened the position of the officers. The government tried to quickly contain the coup, but some situations prevented the repression from being successful.
The first was the sending of the major Paulo Victor da Silva, from Bethlehem, to contain the action. In contact with the coup officials, Major Paulo was convinced of the need for the coup, joining them. The second was the refusal of several officers to join the crackdown on the grounds that they were fellow officers in uniform. The corporatism of Air Force officers was only overcome on February 29, 1956, when troops who were positioned in favor of the legal premises that made the election of JK possible, managed to stop the movement.
Most of the insurgents fled, exiling themselves in South American countries such as Bolivia. The only one to be arrested was Major Haroldo Veloso. However, in the same year, JK sent a request for amnesty to the National Congress, which was approved making it possible for the officers to return to Brazil and the release of Major Haroldo Veloso.
Although it was a small revolt, it shows how much the Brazilian Armed Forces in their history interfered in national politics, circumventing the law in many cases to enforce their placements.
*Image credits: Shutterstock and Georgios Kollides
By Tales Pinto
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/revolta-jacareacanga-no-governo-jk.htm
