January 15, 1964
Igor B. Cardoso
The strike launched by workers of the Rio Light Group, responsible for the distribution of gas, electric power, telephone service, and transportation, paralyzed much of the public services in the states of Guanabara and Rio de Janeiro during the first weeks of 1964. Army troops and Military Police shock units were deployed to guard the Light sectors where workers had joined the strike. Some union members were even arrested over picketing, but were soon released.
The chaotic situation in which residents, shopkeepers, and industrialists dealt daily with power rationing, however, did not express only the wage squeeze amid galloping inflation. Nor was it solely about the prolonged drought and the successive governments' lack of planning in modernizing the state's infrastructure. The crisis was also political.
At war with the National Congress -- made up mostly of lawmakers tied to the interests of business owners and large landholders --, President João Goulart (PTB) relied on the support of the streets to clear the way for institutional politics and push forward with the Base Reforms. Among other measures, he proposed regulating the remittance of multinational companies' profits to their headquarters and carrying out agrarian reform. A former Minister of Labor under Getúlio Vargas, Goulart had credibility among workers, but he could not afford to make missteps. Sectors of the left accused the president of being too conciliatory, for trying to carry out the reforms while respecting a Congress that was considered too conservative.
On the other side, the governor of Guanabara, Carlos Lacerda (UDN), systematically accused Goulart of promoting a "trade-unionist Republic." This label fit almost the entire press like a glove. Months earlier, on September 13, 1963, the editorial of Jornal do Brasil — one of the largest in the country — said "Enough" against the so-called communist "revolution" being plotted within the Presidency of the Republic itself.
Thus, it was not surprising to see Lacerda declare in the same newspaper that the wage strike against Light would be "a stage in a revolutionary war" promoted by the Labor Party members with the aim of sabotaging his government and justifying federal intervention. Meanwhile, Minister of Labor Amaury Silva, coming out in defense of Goulart, blamed the Guanabara government for failing to mobilize to solve the problems.
Close to spreading into a general strike, the stoppage came to an end after 72 hours. It was still summer. And the high temperatures would not cool down in 1964.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white document. It is arranged vertically, with left-aligned text. The title "COORDENAÇÃO DO RACIONAMENTO DE ENERGIA ELÉTRICA" stands out at the top. Below, there are references to "ATO N° II" and "RESTABELECE AS RESTRIÇÕES DE CONSUMO DE ENERGIA ELÉTRICA". The document details the restrictions applied to Rio Light S.A., in the state of Guanabara and other locations. The rules are listed in Roman numerals, from I to XII, explaining circuit cuts, consumption quotas, commercial stores, office buildings, festive lighting, banks, social and sports clubs, exemptions, supplies, hospitals and nursing homes, as well as executive measures. The name "Almirante Miguel Magaldi" appears in the footer, along with the number "63087".“Coordenação de racionamento de energia elétrica”
. Rio de Janeiro, 29 de dezembro de 1963. Fundo Correio da Manhã / Fundação Biblioteca Nacional.