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Artur da Costa e Silva27th President of Brazil
Date of Birth: 03.10.1902
Country:  Brazil |
Content:
Biography of Arthur da Costa e Silva
Arthur da Costa e Silva was born on October 3, 1899, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. His parents were descendants of Portuguese colonists who settled in the southern agricultural regions of Brazil. His father managed a general store that belonged to his wife's father.
Early Career
At the age of ten, Costa e Silva enrolled in the Porto Alegre Military School, where he graduated at the top of his class and served as the commander of the cadet corps in 1917.
Political Rise
In 1930, Getúlio Vargas successfully staged a coup and established what was described as a soft, semi-fascist dictatorship that significantly reduced the influence of landowners. Costa e Silva climbed the ranks as one of the first to support Vargas as an assistant minister in his Cabinet and later as one of the pro-democratic officers who managed to remove Vargas from power in 1945. Vargas would be reelected in 1950, only to be ousted four years later by another group of officers who disagreed with his corrupt and dictatorial government. This time, Vargas committed suicide instead of resigning, and his party returned to leadership under Juscelino Kubitschek.
Dictatorship
Kubitschek presided over years of growth and prosperity, culminating in uncontrolled inflation and corruption. When his successor, Janio Quadros, attempted to control spending, the police in São Paulo revolted in protest against wage freezes. Costa e Silva gained prestige when he challenged the rebels and halted their actions. Quadros moved further left to the disappointment of Brazil's military. Vice President João Goulart assumed control of the country but failed to halt the economic chaos. By 1963, corruption was rampant, the cost of living had risen to 81 percent annually, foreign investments plummeted in response to government nationalizations of industries, and numerous Brazilians took to the streets in massive protest marches.
Dictatorship and Death
Support waned in 1967 and ceased in 1968 as Costa e Silva's clumsy image unraveled, transforming him into one of the most repressive dictators in Brazilian history. On December 13, 1968, Costa e Silva's government passed Decree No. 5, which restricted the rights of people in Brazil and effectively declared a totalitarian dictatorship in the country. Massive demonstrations of protest ensued, which were brutally suppressed by the army. Brazil had vast natural and human resources that could have given it great potential, but its social problems could not be solved even by the most skilled politician. As the fifth-largest country by size and eighth-largest by population in 1967, it had more arable land than Europe and vast reserves of valuable minerals and timber, making economic prosperity seem inevitable. However, Costa e Silva inherited a country with the highest infant mortality rate, the third-highest illiteracy rate, and the third-lowest per capita income in South America. In late August 1969, he suffered a stroke. Witnesses reported that he reached for a pen when he realized he couldn't speak, and then threw the pen across the room in tears when he discovered he couldn't write either. As a result, three generals, A. Lira Tavares, A. Rademaker, and M. Mello, seized power. Costa e Silva died on December 17, 1969.
