Tancredo Neves

Early life and career

Tancredo Neves was born at 3:30 BRT on 4 March 1910 in São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais and was of mostly Portuguese, but also Austrian descent and graduated in law. The Neves family name comes from an Azorean great-great-grandfather. Tancredo Neves was a descendant of Amador Bueno, a noted paulista from the colonial Brazilian era.

His parents were Francisco de Paula Neves and Antonina de Almeida Neves. After completing studies in his hometown, he moved to Belo Horizonte and enrolled in Law School. He was a sympathizer of the Liberal Alliance that had brought Getúlio Vargas to power with the outbreak of the Revolution of 1930.

Neves studied at Colégio Santo Antônio, a Franciscan school, concluding his studies in humanities in 1927. In 1928 he began studies at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Law, in 1932 and was a public prosecutor in 1933.

He began his political career as a member of the legislative chamber of his hometown in 1934, and was elected in 1947 to the Minas Gerais state legislature. Three years later he became a representative of his state in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. In 1953 he was appointed Minister of Justice by President Getúlio Vargas. Neves served in that post until Vargas committed suicide in 1954. In 1960, Neves ran unsuccessfully for governor of Minas Gerais.

Neves was married to Risoleta Guimarães Tolentino and they had three children. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Coimbra, and was called "Doctor Tancredo" by his close colleagues. He is the grandfather of Aécio Neves, who was Minas Gerais's governor between 2003 and 2010 and is currently a senator.

Early political career

During the Old Republic, Neves opposed Artur Bernardes, president of Brazil. He was launched into politics through the municipal political leader Augusto Viegas, to whom he remained grateful. In 1984, when asked about the political parties he belonged to by the newspaper Pasquim, he explained that he had chosen his parties, like everyone from Minas Gerais did, according to municipal issues.

He joined the Progressive Party (PP) of Minas Gerais, party which was formed by members of the Mineiro Republican Party, who supported the Revolution in 1930. Later, when the Progressive Party was extinct, he joined the Mineiro Nationalist Party.

Neves was not able to finance his candidacy as state representative in 1934, but he was elected São João del Rei's city councilman in 1935 and president of the City Council when he became the mayor. After the closure of the municipalities and the institution of the "New State" on 10 November 1937, Neves was the President of São João del Rei's Board of Councilmen.

After concluding his term of office as city councilman, Neves returned to advocacy and was an attorney for his city's railway union. He was also an entrepreneur in the textile sector for some time. According to the newspaper Pasquim, Governor Benedito Valadares invited him to become chief of police in Belo Horizonte, but declined, saying he would not serve dictatorships.

State legislator and federal minister

Feeling pressured by the international conjuncture dictated by the imminent victory of the allies during World War II, and susceptible to internal pressure and contestation, President Getúlio Vargas cranked up a stratagem to liberate the New State. With that, the political framework that had been erected under auspicious democrats saw a new political college emerge.

On 8 April 1945, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was created in Minas Gerais and was controlled by Benedito Valadares, who had been nominated as federal intervener of Minas Gerais on 15 December 1933. He governed until Getúlio Vargas was deposed on 29 October 1945. His fall opened way to the elections for president of the republic and for members of the National Constituent Assembly on 2 December of the same year. The Assembly proclaimed the new Constitution on 18 September 1946. Once the Constitution was in force, there were elections for state governor and members of the National Congress and state legislature in January 1947.

Neves was elected Minas Gerais's state representative by Benedito Valadare's PSD, and was designated as one of the spokesmen of the state Constitution of Minas Gerais. Once his work with the Constituent Assembly was over, he assumed leadership of the Social Democratic Party workbench and led the opposition to Milton Campos's government. Milton Campos was part of the National Democratic Union (UDN), which had reached the Liberty Palace after a split in the PSD of Minas Gerais. Due to a fire in the building of the old Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, very few documents of that Constituent Assembly were left intact.

He was elected congressman in 1950, and Juscelino Kubitschek was elected Governor of Minas Gerais, defeating situationist Gabriel Passos. In 1953, Kubitschek and Vargas agreed to appoint Neves minister of justice of Minas Gerais, a post which had to be filled by a delegate of the PSD of Minas Gerais. Neves left the parliamentary seat and began to serve as Minister of Justice on 26 June 1953. During his office, two laws were sanctioned, the Law 2.083 (the "Press Law") in 1953 and Law 2.252 on statutory rape.

As Minister of Justice during Vargas's administration, Neves offered to take on the Cabinet of War, which was responsible for arresting rebel military and to head the democratic resistance.

President of the Council of Ministers

On 25 August 1961, Neves pronounced the installation of parliamentarism; therefore, preventing João Goulart from assuming the Presidency under a Military Coup. After more than a week of uncertainty, all the sectors directly involved in the crisis concluded that the solution to the dead-lock would have to be political and not military. So, with the developing negotiations, a constitutional amendment was presented, that would convert the presidencialist regime to a parliamentary one. This change greatly reduced the President's power, and was considered satisfactory by the military officers. Neves then travelled to Montevideo in order to obtain Goulart's agreement, and returned to Brasília on 1 September, having fulfilled his mission. The amendment was approved by Congress on the 2nd and opened way to Goulart's return, assuming the Presidency on 7 September, independence day.

On the following day, the new president sent a message to the National Congress (which was approved with 259 votes against 22), that designated Neves as President of the Council of Ministers, thus head of the brazilian government.

The first Council of Ministers aimed to build a vast political structure, and which was able to regain dialogue among the main parties of the country was composed by Antônio de Oliveira Brito Minister of Education, Armando Monteiro Filho Minister of Agriculture and Ulysses Guimarães, Minister of Industry and Commerce from the PSD; Francisco Clementino de San Tiago Dantas Minister of External Relations and Estácio Souto Maior Minister of Health from the PTB; Virgílio Távora Minister of Transportation and Gabriel Passos Minister of Mines and Energy from the National Democratic Union; André Franco Montoro Minister of Labor and Social Security from the party Partido Democrata Cristão (PDC); Walter Moreira Sales Minister of Finance; General João de Segadas Viana, Minister of War, Ângelo Nolasco de Almeida, Minister of the Navy and Brigadier Clóvis Monteiro Travassos, Minister of Air force.

Neves temporarily occupied the seat of the Ministry of Justice from 8 September to 13 October while he waited for the Social Progressive Party (PSP) which had former Governor of São Paulo, Adhemar Pereira de Barros as President, to indicate a name that would solidify his support to the parliamentary cabinet and replace him. Ademar suggested Congressman from the state of Goiânia, Alfredo Nasser, who accepted and assumed post, replacing Neves.

Opposition to the Military Regime

Back at the Chamber of Deputies, Tancredo maintained his support of João Goulart’s administration until he was deposed by the Military Coup in 1964. Tancredo was one of the few politicians who went to see João Goulart off at the Salgado Filho Airport, in Porto Alegre, when he left to Uruguay on exile. He was the only member of the Social Democratic Party who did not vote for General Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco during the presidential elections by the National Congress on 11 April 1964.

With the end of the existing multiparty system, José de Magalhães Pinto was invited to join the National Renewal Alliance, also known as ARENA. He politely declined the invitation due to the presence of his adversaries from the UDN, especially José de Magalhães Pinto from the new situationist college.

Although Neves had been João Goulart's prime minister and friend, he did not have his political rights annulled during the military coup thanks to his influence on the military.

Being a moderate objector of the military regime of 1964, Neves soon sought shelter in the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB). He was re-elected congressman in 1966, 1970 and 1974. During his parliamentary performance, he tried hard to avoid conflicts with the military government, and was part of MDB's moderate wing. He did not object to dialogue with the situacionist forces. That showed a posture that was contrary to the one the MDB's "authentic" wing had. In 1978 he was elected senator in Minas Gerais.

Neves founded the Popular Party in 1980 and was elected as its president. He did that by gathering moderates from the MDB and the ARENA around him, including his old rival José de Magalhães Pinto, during President João Goulart's administration which had recreated a multiparty system in 1979.

In 1980 Neves defended the incorporation of the Popular Party into the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) when faced with difficulties created by the electoral rules that would be applied in the 1982 elections. As a result, he was chosen as national vice-president of PMDB, and on that same year, was elected Governor of Minas Gerais after a tough dispute with Democratic Social Party candidate, Eliseu Resende. His running mate and Vice Governor, Hélio Garcia, gave him the support that was fundamental to his election. Garcia was very knowledgeable about the small counties in Minas Gerais, which Neves used to call "grotões". His victory did not come easily due to electoral statutes of the time which forecast the "attached vote" obligating citizens to vote for mayor, city councilman and governor of the same party. That favored the PDS, since it was a strong party in the small counties of Minas Gerais. During his inauguration ceremony as governor, he pronounced a phrase that became famous: "Mineiros, Minas Gerais's first priority is its own freedom".

"Diretas Já" and the Electoral College

On 15 March 1983, the elected governors took office, and debates around President João Figueiredo's succession began. During his address at the end of 1982, the President abdicated from coordinating debates around his succession, and put the issue in the hands of his party, the PDS. The lack of a consensus by the PDS in appointing a name denoted cracks in the governmental college. The college later appointed Mário Andreazza as Minister of Internal Affairs, Marco Maciel as senator, and Paulo Maluf as congressman, whom all brought a significant part of the PDS with them. Vice-president Aureliano Chaves immediately started having conflicts with President Figueiredo, and that only complicated the process of succession.

Talks towards Neves's candidacy as president began in 1983 when he received a visit led by José Fragelli who brought 15 senators from the PMDB with him. The group proposed his candidacy as president in the elections that were set by the Electoral College and scheduled for 15 January 1985.

In the beginning of that year, Fragelli organized a group of 14 senators, all of whom were willing to work for the presidential campaign, to visit Governor Neves. It was Senator Fragelli himself, who after this meeting told Senator Pedro Simon that if the PMDB decided to be part of the Electoral College, their candidate would then be Neves.

Other segments of the military regime opposition acted differently, and included the re-institution of direct presidential elections in their agenda. The opposition's first action took place in the county of Pernambuco, led by Mozart de Abreu e Lima, on the same day that the Military Regime completed its 19th year, 31 March 1983. The manifestations that occurred in the Northeast of Brazil resulted from a manifesto by the ten opposition governors (nine from the PMDB and one from the PDT), which demanded the re-establishment of direct presidential elections.

The very next day, a commission supporting the Diretas Já was formed in the capital of São Paulo and gathered ten thousand people. They were frustrated with the rejection of the constitutional amendment from 25 April 1984, called Dantes de Oliveira. Many other commissions were formed between January and April 1984 and were given the name "Direct Now Campaign".

Illness and death

Neves had undertaken a very strenuous campaign agenda. He gathered the support of Congress and state governors, and travelled abroad as the elected president. He had been suffering strong abdominal pain during the days preceding his inauguration. Advised by his doctors to seek treatment, he said: "You can do whatever you want with me... after I take office." Neves feared that military hardliners would refuse to give power to the Vice President. He decided to only announce his illness on the day of his inauguration, 15 March 1985 after the heads of state who were supposed to be present had arrived in Brasília. That would have made it harder for a political rupture to occur. His concern with the assurance of the inauguration was echoed by the phrase he had heard from Getúlio Vargas regarding the subject: "It is not enough to win elections in Brazil, it is necessary to take office!"

In Brasília, during the religious ceremony at the Dom Bosco Sanctuary, he developed strong continuous abdominal pain. In the hospital, he told his cousin Francisco Dornelles – who had been appointed as Finance Minister – that he would refuse surgery if he didn't have the guarantee that outgoing President João Figueiredo would induct José Sarney. Dornelles promised his cousin that Sarney would be inducted. According to information compiled by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, the maneuvers to bring Sarney to office were already under Ulysses Guimarães (President of the Chamber, PMDB-SP), and Leitão de Abreu's Chief of Staff of Brazil lead.

The official version said that Neves had diverticulitis, though later reports indicated that he had a benign but infected leiomyoma. The existence of a tumor was hidden by the doctors until the last minute, due to the possible impact that the word cancer would have during that age.

On 15 March, newly sworn in Vice President José Sarney assumed presidential powers and duties as acting president before the National Congress while Neves recovered. He read the statement that Neves had written for his inauguration, preaching national conciliation and the installation of a constituent national assembly. It read: The ceremony to transfer power took place at the Palácio do Planalto. President Figueiredo did not appear, refusing to give the presidential sash on to José Sarney since he was a substitute and not his elected successor. It was the official photographer of the palace, Gervézio Batista, who put the sash around Sarney.

Legacy and tributes

Twenty years after his death, the medical body of the Hospital da Base in Brasília revealed that they had not announced the correct report at that time, and that Neves's medical condition had not been diverticulitis, but a tumor. Although it was benign, the discovery of a tumor could have been interpreted as cancer back then. That would have caused unpredictable effects on the political development of that time.

The Vice President of the time, José Sarney, took office as President, bringing an end to the period of five governments that had been conducted by members of the Military.

Even without taking office, Neves is, by law, counted amongst the former Presidents of Brazil, by law 7.465, of 21 April 1986: "Citizen Tancredo de Almeida Neves, elected and not vested due to his death, will be figured in the gallery of those who have been anointed by the Brazilian nation, to the Supreme Justice, under all legal matters".

In 1990, the Tancredo Neves Memorial was opened in his hometown São João del Rei, where a narration of his personal and political journey can be found.

On 1 March 2010, a special stamp was created to celebrate Neves's 100th birthday. This event was part of a series of tributes that took place until his birth date, 4 March. During a tribute to his 100th birthday in Brasília, his bust was inaugurated in the Senate Noble Hall. He is remembered as "a conciliating and an able political articulator".

A city in Bahia was named Presidente Tancredo Neves in his honor. And, the capital of Bahia, Salvador, has its business and finance centers on Avenida Tancredo Neves. Tancredo Neves International Airport in Belo Horizonte is named for him. The Tancredo Neves Bridge connects the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu with the Argentine Puerto Iguazú, crossing over the Iguassu River.

Neves wrote not only articles for newspapers such as Estado de Minas, O Correio and Diário de São João del Rei, but he was also author of The Parliamentary Regime and Brazil's Reality and The World Scene and National Security, published in the magazine Revista Brasileira de Estudos Políticos. He also wrote numerous speeches and opinions that were published in newspapers, magazines and parliamentary annuals.

Family

On 25 May 1938, Neves married Risoleta Guimarães Tolentino (20 July 1917 – 21 September 2003) with whom he had three children; one of them, Inês, married politician Aécio Ferreira da Cunha. Their son is the politician Aécio Neves.