March 31, 1964
Giovana Vitória Martins Dotta
Meeting at the Dockworkers' Union and surrounded by the Guanabara police, the General Workers' Command (CGT) issued a statement warning about the plotting of a coup d'état against João Goulart. It called on urban and rural workers to prepare to launch a general strike across the country, in defense of democratic freedoms.
Formed by the Confederação dos Trabalhadores na Indústria (CNTI), the Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Marítimos, Fluviais e Aéreos (CNTTMFA), and the Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores nas Empresas de Crédito (Contec), the CGT was an ally of the Basic Reforms project, championed by João Goulart. Given the mobilizations that had been taking place since the March 13 rally, the sailors' uprising, and the sergeants' meeting, the possibility of a military offensive was becoming increasingly concrete. Goulart had expressed support not only for agrarian reform, but also for tax reform, broad electoral reform, the right of illiterate people to vote, and the eligibility of all Brazilians to run for office.
On the fateful night of March 31st, the Command's position was that the strike should be radicalized and extended to the entire country. As a result of the intense military repression, support for the strike did not achieve the expected outcome. In the early hours of April 1st, twenty CGT leaders were arrested by the Guanabara Military Police at the Railway Workers' Union. In the days following the Coup, several militants and union leaders were summarily arrested throughout the country. For months, they were held in stadiums and clubs. Police and the Army occupied Rio's largest unions. Workers' organizations were dismantled and banned.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of a demonstration. In the central part, we see a man holding a sign with the letters "C.G.T." and "É LEGAL" prominently displayed. On the left, other participants carry banners with inscriptions that are not fully legible. Behind the group, there are old buildings with windows and doors. On the right, a man in a suit is observing the demonstration.Passeata no Rio comemora a criação do CGT. Agosto de 1962. Acervo Biblioteca Nacional.