DepositionofWashingtonLuís

Anthem to October 24th - Gastão Formenti, 1930

The coup to depose the Washington Luís government began on October 3, 1930, in Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraíba. Rio de Janeiro was the point of convergence for the two armed fronts that set out from the south and the northeast.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph. In the image, we see a group of soldiers on horseback in front of a monumental structure. The spatial arrangement is asymmetrical, with the soldiers and horses distributed across the image. On the left side, we see two horses and their soldiers, while on the right there are two more horses and other soldiers. All are facing the central structure, which appears to be a monument or statue. The structure has a circular base with steps and a central column. The soldiers are wearing period military uniforms and equipment.

In March of the same year, the government's candidate, Júlio Prestes, emerged victorious from the presidential elections, with the support of the president and of 18 states of the federation. The opposition, gathered around the Liberal Alliance (AL), acknowledged defeat at the polls. But the assassination of the defeated vice-presidential candidate, João Pessoa, generated the popular outrage needed for civilians and military personnel to mobilize to seize power by force. The government used the federal capital's newspapers to spread false reports of defeats inflicted by the Armed Forces on the insurgents. Anyone who dared to contradict the official version was arrested. The phrase "Defeatists are unwelcome. Please leave" was printed on posters put up on the notice boards of public offices.

Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph. In the foreground, we see a group of soldiers lying on the ground, apparently dead, with weapons beside them. They are arranged in rows, some lying face down and others face up. On the left, more soldiers stand watching over the fallen group. In the background, there is a large staircase with a balustrade, and on the right, a column with a lamppost. The building in the background appears to be a palace or an important public building, with columns and classical architecture.

On October 24th, soldiers and civilians erected trenches and barricades, positioned cannons and machine guns in front of Palácio Guanabara, and set fire to the headquarters of the newspaper O Paiz, on Rio Branco avenue. The newsrooms and workshops of other newspapers were ransacked, and their equipment burned right in the street.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph. In the image, we see a group of people around a classic car. On the left side, two men dressed in military uniforms are standing near the car. One of them is opening the rear door of the vehicle. Inside the car, there are two people seated, one of them wearing a hat. On the right, two men are talking, one of them also wearing a military uniform. The background shows a wall with decorative moldings and a window. In the upper right corner of the image, there is a corner mark with black text on a white background.

At midnight, Washington Luís left the palace as a prisoner, headed for the Copacabana fort. The Provisional Governing Junta, composed of two generals and a rear admiral, had deposed the president. Afterward, the leadership of the Army and Navy swore in Getúlio Vargas, the candidate defeated in the elections.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a large crowd gathered in an open space. From left to right, the image shows a densely packed area with people standing, occupying all of the available space. In the center, there is a raised structure, possibly a stage or platform, where an individual dressed in more formal clothing is positioned, appearing to be making a statement or delivering a speech to the crowd. The spatial arrangement suggests that the central figure is the main focus of the image, while the crowd is spread out around them, suggesting a ceremony or important public event.