Carlos Lamarca Junior officer of the Brazilian army, organizer of the guerrilla movement Revolutionary People's Vanguard Date of Birth: 23.10.1937 Country: Brazil

1. Early Life and Activism
2. Military Service and Political Awakening
3. Revolution and Underground Operations
4. State Repression and Counteroffensive
5. Split and Tragic End
6. Personal Life

Early Life and Activism

Carlos Lamarca, a former Brazilian army officer, was born on October 23, 1937, in Rio de Janeiro. His early life was marked by his active participation in youth movements advocating for the nationalization of the oil industry at the age of 16. Lamarca's intellectual curiosity was fostered by his admiration for Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace."

Military Service and Political Awakening

In 1960, Lamarca graduated from the Agulhas Negras Military Academy and subsequently served in a Brazilian peacekeeping battalion during the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1962. Witnessing the plight of the Palestinian people sparked his interest in Marxist literature, leading him to question the unjust social structures of his time.

Revolution and Underground Operations

In 1964, Lamarca was arrested for opposing a military coup but was later released. In 1967, as a captain in the Brazilian army, he established the communist group Revolutionary Popular Vanguard among his fellow officers. With the support of Carlos Marighella, Lamarca arranged for his family's safe passage to Cuba.

Lamarca's group aimed to form a guerrilla unit to combat the government. Their plan involved a heist on army barracks, where they planned to acquire 560 rifles and two 60mm mortars. The date for the operation was set for January 27, 1969, but a betrayal led to the discovery of the plot. Lamarca decided to proceed with the attack on January 24, seizing 63 FAL rifles and three INA submachine guns.

Operating in secrecy, Lamarca established training camps for guerrillas and resorted to bank robbery (expropriations) to fund their activities. The group conducted a total of 20 such expropriations, during which Lamarca killed a bank security guard in May 1969.

State Repression and Counteroffensive

In 1970, government forces raided Lamarca's training camp with artillery and air support. However, Lamarca and his unit managed to escape the encirclement. In December 1970, he orchestrated the kidnapping of Swiss ambassador Giovanni Bucher, demanding the release of 70 political prisoners, which was eventually granted.

Split and Tragic End

In 1971, ideological differences led Lamarca to leave the Revolutionary Popular Vanguard and join the Revolutionary Movement of October 8. He and his lover, Yara Yavelberg, were sent to Bahia to establish a new guerrilla unit. Brazilian intelligence services tracked down their hideout, leading to a massive military operation. Yavelberg died in a shootout with police, while Lamarca was wounded during an attack on a training camp in Buriti Cristalino.

Despite fleeing with Jose Campos Barreto (Zequinha), Lamarca and Barreto were pursued and killed on September 17, 1971, by a combined force of soldiers, police, and secret agents led by Sergio Fleury. Their bodies were discovered 20 days later, after they had covered 300 kilometers of jungle terrain.

Personal Life

Carlos Lamarca was married to his adoptive sister, Maria Pavana, with whom he had two children. He later entered a romantic relationship with fellow revolutionary Yara Yavelberg.