Carlos Lacerda

Carlos Lacerda was a Brazilian journalist and politician who was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1914. He was the son of a politician and a writer and the grandson of a Supreme Court judge. He studied law and philosophy at the University of Brazil and became an aviator. He joined the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution against the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas and went into exile in Paraguay and Argentina. He returned to Brazil in 1934 and became a city councilor in São Paulo. He was appointed as the federal interventor in São Paulo by Vargas in 1938 and served until 1941. He founded the Social Progressive Party (PSP) and was elected governor of São Paulo in 1947 and 1962. He was also the mayor of São Paulo from 1957 to 1961. He ran for president in 1955 and 1960, but came in third place both times. He was known for his brilliant oratory and his fierce opposition to Vargas, whom he accused of corruption and authoritarianism. He was the target of an assassination attempt in 1954, which wounded him and killed a major of the Brazilian Air Force. The incident, known as the Street of the Toneleros, led to the suicide of Vargas. Lacerda was also one of the main supporters of the 1964 military coup that overthrew João Goulart. However, he soon became disillusioned with the regime and denounced its human rights violations. He was banned from politics in 1968 and had his rights suspended. He died of heart failure in Rio de Janeiro in 1977. He was married to Letícia Abruzzini and had three children. He wrote several books on law, politics, and social justice. He also founded the newspaper Tribuna da Imprensa and the publishing house Nova Fronteira. He is considered one of the most influential and controversial politicians in Brazilian history.