Julio Prestes

Júlio Prestes was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who was elected president of Brazil in 1930, but never took office because he was overthrown by a military coup led by Getúlio Vargas. He was born on March 15, 1882, in Itapetininga, São Paulo, to a wealthy and influential family. He graduated from the Law School of São Paulo in 1906, and practiced law in his hometown. He entered politics in 1909, as a member of the Republican Party of São Paulo (PRP), and was elected state deputy in 1912. He became the leader of the PRP in the Chamber of Deputies, and supported the presidential campaigns of Artur Bernardes and Washington Luís. He was appointed Minister of Agriculture in 1926, and became the president of São Paulo in 1927. He was known for his public works and his support for coffee growers. He was nominated as the presidential candidate of the governing coalition in 1929, and won the election by a large margin, defeating Getúlio Vargas, the governor of Rio Grande do Sul. However, his victory was contested by the opposition, who accused him of fraud and corruption. On October 3, 1930, a revolt broke out in the south and northeast of Brazil, led by Vargas and his allies, who demanded a new election and a constitutional reform. The revolt soon spread to other regions, and reached Rio de Janeiro, the capital, on October 24. Washington Luís was deposed by the military, and Prestes was prevented from taking office. Vargas assumed power as the provisional president, and abolished the Old Republic. Prestes went into exile in Portugal, France, and the United States, where he denounced the Vargas regime and defended democracy. He returned to Brazil in 1945, after the end of the Estado Novo dictatorship, and joined the National Democratic Union (UDN), a conservative party that opposed Vargas. He ran for senator in 1947, but lost. He retired from politics and devoted himself to his law practice and his farm. He died on February 9, 1946, in São Paulo, from pneumonia. He is regarded as one of the most tragic figures in Brazilian history, as he was the only elected president who was not allowed to take office.