João Carlos Starling
In early 1964, Petrobras was the protagonist of a scandal in the delicate Brazilian politics of that period.
On January 28, the president of the state-owned company, General Albino Silva, denounced a case of overbilling in Petrobras's imports and exports carried out without his knowledge. His accusations raised suspicions about directors Jairo José Farias and Hugo Régis, appointed by the union movement, who promptly responded by presenting their own denunciations against Albino Silva.
The episode gained significant repercussions in the press.
It was believed that the scandal could affect the operations of the state-owned company, which caused a great deal of concern.
For the federal government, the moment was one of urgency. Media coverage – often mixed with speculation – painted an extremely negative picture of João Goulart's presidency. A
A quick and effective solution became essential to demonstrate that the federal government was in control of the situation: Jango decided to dismiss Albino Silva from his position and order the replacement of the whistleblowing directors.
For the position of president of Petrobras, he chose marshal Osvino Ferreira Alves, a military officer of his great trust and one of his main advisors. Ferreira was a known ally of the union movements, which displeased several Army leaders. On February 5th, the President of the Republic received Osvino Ferreira at the Palácio das Laranjeiras, to hold an audience and get closer to the new leadership of Petrobras.
In an attempt to balance the political scales, General Arnaldo Augusto de Mata was appointed to the senior leadership of Petrobrás, a decision influenced by the then Minister of War Jair Dantas Ribeiro. Mata was seen as a moderate man, who disagreed with Marshal Osvino's positions, and his choice was viewed by the upper echelons of the Army as a way to curb the "unionist temper" of João Goulart.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a gathering of men in an indoor setting. On the left side, a man in a black suit is talking with another man in a light-colored suit. In the center, two men in light-colored suits are interacting. On the right, two men in dark suits are talking. In the background, a person in dark attire is walking. Curtains and windows are visible in the background, allowing light to enter.Presidente João Belchior Marques Goulart (1961-1964) no Estado da Guanabara: recebe em audiência a nova diretoria da Petrobras, Palácio Laranjeiras, Rio de Janeiro, GB. Autor Desconhecido, 5/2/1964. Arquivo Nacional