Leonel Brizola (1922-2004)
In the 1960’s and 1970’s Brizola was the enfant terrible of the Brazilian left. He held a series of important elected positions, including federal Congressman, Governor of the southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, and Governor of Guanabara (greater Rio de Janeiro). He was the brother-in-law of President João Goulart. The latter relationship had an important role in the coup of 1964.
Brizola was no communist—he could never have buckled down to the party line. Rather, he was a radical nationalist who liked to inveigh against the “imperialists,” especially Uncle Sam. When Brizola was Governor of Rio Grande do Sul he had expropriated a U.S.-owned electrical utility. The U.S. Ambassador, Lincoln Gordon, fired back a protest and opened a lengthy international legal battle.
Later, as federal Congressman, Brizola continued his tirades against the United States. By this point he had shifted his field of political support to Rio. There he had built up a strong mass of urban support and articulated an effective party following.
As governor (and in the spotlight of national press attention) he launched a highly populist program, featuring heavy investment in public schools and other social services. His popularity was growing and the military and the right-wring press made him their favorite target.
I just crossed paths with him when I was in Rio and received a phone call from local TV producers inviting me to participate in a popular TV talk show (“Roda Viva”). It was to feature the notorious leftist Brizola. I said I was flattered (they probably wanted a counterpoint to B). I said no, I was about to leave within hours for a trip to São Paulo. They said, “Postpone your damn trip and we’ll pay your way.” Naturally I said yes.
When I got to the studio the moderator was looking grave, glancing daggers at Brizola. The moderator smiled and began, “Ladies and gentlemen, today we’re looking forward to a very civilized discussion of politics.”
To the right of me (across from Brizola) was an overweight right-wing journalist who started off the show by asking, as one of his editors had asked, “How is that rat Brizola doing these days?” The moderator gulped and we were off to the races. Brizola gave a cunning smile and said to the hairy-armed and rodent-shaped-mouthed journalist, “VÔCE é o rato!”
I knew the governor was no stranger to this kind of colloquy because had once gotten into a slugging match with O Cruzeiro journalist David Nasser at the Rio airport.
Brizola had an important role to play in the difficult transition back to democracy. In later years Presidents Cardoso and Lula would forge paths to greater popular participation and greater prosperity. But Leonel Brizola was always, as they say, “PRESENTE.”
Further Readings
Aguiar, Ricardo Osman G. Leonel Brizola: uma trajetória política. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Editora Record, 1991.
Bandeira, Moniz. Brizola e o trabalhismo. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, 1979.
Vasconcelos, Gilberto Felisberto. Depois de Leonel Brizola. São Paulo, SP: Caros Amigos Editora, 2008.
Leonel Brizola was born in Carazinho, Rio Grande do Sul. He pursued a career in politics and served as governor of Rio Grande do Sul in 1959, as well as federal Congressman during Goulart’s presidency in 1961. He was a savvy politician who later built a strong base of support among the poor as the first major politician to interact with an organized Afro-Brazilian movement and make favela activists key players within the Partido Democrático Trabalhista (Democratic Labor Party), which allowed him to win the Rio de Janeiro gubernatorial election of 1982. He later acted as vice-president of the Socialist International, where he remained Honorary President until he passed away in 2004.