Leonel Brizola

Leonel Brizola (Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, January 22, 1922 — Rio de Janeiro, June 21 2004) was a Brazilian politician . He was governor of Rio Grande do Sul from 1959 to 1962, as well as serving two terms as governor of Rio de Janeiro state (1983–1987 and 1991–1994). He was also vice-president of Socialist International, as well as Honorary President of that organization for a few months (from October 2003 until his death).

Related Topics:
Passo Fundo - Rio Grande do Sul - January 22 - 1922 - Rio de Janeiro - June 21 - 2004 - Brazilian - Politician - Governor - 1959 - 1962 - Rio de Janeiro - 1983 - 1987 - 1991 - 1994 - Socialist International - 2003

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A disciple of former Brazilian presidents Getúlio Dornelles Vargas and João Goulart (brother of Brizola's wife, Neusa Goulart), Brizola began his political career as a member of the Brazilian Labour Party (Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro or PTB). He inherited from Vargas a preference for populism, which politicians often used in mid-20th century South America. During the presidency of Goulart (1961–1964) Brizola was an important supporter of his brother-in-law, first as governor and later as a deputy in the National Congress of Brazil. Brizola gained nationwide visibility by twice acting in defense of democracy and Goulart's rights as president. First, when Jânio Quadros resigned from the presidency in August 1961, the Brazilian military ministers in the Cabinet attempted to prevent Goulart from becoming president. Brizola then forged a pool of radio stations in Rio Grande do Sul, the so-called "cadeia da legalidade" (legality chain), which revealed to the country the intentions behind the Cabinet ministers' actions. This first coup failed, and Goulart was inaugurated as president.

Related Topics:
Presidents - Getúlio Dornelles Vargas - João Goulart - Brazilian Labour Party - Populism - 20th century - South America - 1961 - 1964 - National Congress of Brazil - Democracy - Jânio Quadros - August

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In April 1964, when a coup d'état successfully overthrew Goulart, Brizola was the only governor to offer support for the president, sheltering him in Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul while there was still hope to restore democracy. (Governor Miguel Arraes of Pernambuco also supported Goulart, but Arraes was jailed as soon as the coup was declared.) Because of his connection with Goulart, the military regime exiled Brizola in 1964; he went to Uruguay, where Goulart had gone into exile earlier that year.

Related Topics:
April - 1964 - Coup d'état - Porto Alegre - Miguel Arraes - Pernambuco - Uruguay

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But Brizola did not find peace in Uruguay, since the Brazil's new military government pressured the authorities of Uruguay to seize Brizola. In 1977 he was deported from Uruguay for alleged "violations of norms of political asylum". After spending some time in the United States, Leonel Brizola went to live in Portugal.

Related Topics:
1977 - United States - Portugal

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In the late 1970s the Brazilian military dictatorship was dying, and an amnesty was announced. Brizola returned to Brazil and founded a new party, the Democratic Labour Party (Partido Democrático Trabalhista, PDT). The party joined the Socialist International in 1986, and since then the party symbol contains a hand with a red flower (symbol of SI).

Related Topics:
1970s - Amnesty - Democratic Labour Party - 1986

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In the last decades of his life, Brizola ran for president twice. In 1989 he finished third, losing the second position by a very narrow margin to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Fernando Collor de Mello was elected). He was very popular in his home state of Rio Grande do Sul and in his adopted home state of Rio de Janeiro, but never got more than 2% of the votes from São Paulo state. In 1994 he finished fifth (the winner was Fernando Henrique Cardoso). Four years later he was Lula's running mate: they lost to Cardoso.

Related Topics:
1989 - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - Fernando Collor de Mello - São Paulo state - 1994 - Fernando Henrique Cardoso

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In 2002 Brizola supported the candidacy of Ciro Gomes for president. Gomes finished third, while Lula was elected president. The PDT was (and still is) very weak to face new parties in Brazil's political scene, so Brizola became a secondary figure in his last years. Despite supporting Lula at some periods during his career, Brizola's last public acts were criticizing Lula's supposed neoliberal policies and neglecting traditional left-wing and workers' struggles.

Related Topics:
2002 - Ciro Gomes - Neoliberal

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Brizola died in 2004, after a heart attack.

Related Topics:
2004 - Heart attack

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