AllianceLiberalrally

Lalá - Augusto Calheiros, 1931

The 1930 presidential election was set for March 1st. At stake was the name of the new occupant of the Palácio do Catete, a neoclassical-style mansion near Flamengo beach, built by the Baron of Nova Friburgo and transformed, in 1897, into the seat of the Presidency of the Republic. Since then, its occupants had come from Minas Gerais or São Paulo, in a balance of power alternating between the regional elites and the Federal Government, established by the Politics of the Governors.

For this reason, it was taken for granted that the president of Minas Gerais, Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrade, would be the official candidate to succeed Washington Luís, the paulista. But, to everyone's surprise, in June 1929, the president of the Republic declared his support for the representative from São Paulo, Júlio Prestes.

Antônio Carlos then defected to the opposition. He gave up his own candidacy and, with the support of dissident political elites, formed the Liberal Alliance (AL). Against the official ticket, the AL put forward Getúlio Vargas, from Rio Grande do Sul, for president and João Pessoa, from Paraíba, as vice president.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a political rally. In the foreground, we see a crowd of people wearing formal attire, including hats and suits. On the left, two men are facing the camera, one of them with his hands on his hips. On the right, other participants follow the group. In the center, two large signs are being carried by the demonstrators. The sign on the left reads "PELO BRASIL TUDO!" and the one on the right reads "ALIANÇA LIBERAL". In the background, we see old buildings and trees, suggesting that the event is taking place in an urban square.

Getúlio left Porto Alegre determined to headline a rally like Rio de Janeiro had never seen. He would speak in a public square, rather than in halls open only to a select audience, as was customary. The goal was to occupy the Esplanada do Castelo, a vast vacant lot in the Centro.

Image description: The image is a grayscale postcard depicting a scene with two characters. On the left, a man wearing a hat and a white shirt stands on solid ground, while on the right, another man sails in a sailboat. The boat is on turbulent waves, suggesting strong winds. In the background, there is a cloudy sky. At the top of the image is written "THE ELECTORAL EXCURSION". Below, there is a caption that reads: "BORGES - Careful, Getulio. Look, the weather in the North isn't good and you're a first-time sailor...".

On January 2, 1930, under the threat of rain, some 150 thousand people gathered to hear the AL platform: political, social, and economic modernization. Elegantly dressed ladies waved hats and green-and-yellow flags alongside common folk in clogs and sandals. That day, Rio de Janeiro was the stage for a “civic orgy,” as journalist Assis Chateaubriand put it.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a political rally. The image shows a large crowd of people gathered in front of a palace. In the background, we see the palace with several buildings and towers. On the left, there is a structure that appears to be a church or temple. The crowd is concentrated in the center of the image, filling the entire foreground.