DeputyLeonelBrizolaatthepodiumoftheRallyforReforms

March 13, 1964

Danilo Araujo Marques

On the night of that Friday, March 13, 1964, the square of Central do Brasil was taken over by a crowd estimated at 200,000 people. Having begun at 6 p.m., the Comício das Reformas reached its most anticipated moment when President Jango arrived at the platform at 7:45 p.m. Amid the sea of banners, one in particular stood out: "Brizola 65."

Leonel Brizola took the stage at around 8 p.m. His presence caused quite a stir. To many people's surprise, Jango and Brizola greeted each other with a long embrace. The public gesture of affection between the brothers-in-law drew attention, since rumors of disagreements between the two had been circulating.

The PTB congressman began his speech with a surprising revelation: his participation in the public rally had been contested. But he was there to assert himself as a representative of "the people who reacted with weapons in hand in 1961," in reference to the Legality Campaign.

For almost 20 minutes, Brizola fired up the crowd with words that swung between praise and criticism of the Goulart government. The gaúcho's radicalism became evident when he called for an end to the president's "policy of conciliation," only to follow it up with the most controversial proposal of the night: the closing of the National Congress and the calling of a National Constituent Assembly.

"Congress will give nothing more to the Brazilian people," he declared, suggesting that the new parliament should be made up of "workers, peasants, nationalist military officers, and sergeants." The reaction was immediate. So much so that ministers Oliveira Brito and Expedito Machado decided to leave the stage. But Brizola did not back down and challenged his critics to settle the matter through a plebiscite.

In a theatrical gesture, Brizola asked the crowd to raise their arms in support of a "popular and nationalist government." Thousands of hands went up. But what really caught the eye was the metallic gleam seen at the congressman's waist: a Taurus 38.

More than a security measure, the presence of the gun seemed like a message. Brizola ended his speech with a forceful warning: "Our path is peaceful, but we will know how to respond to violence with violence." Spoken by an armed man on a political platform, the phrase echoed like an omen of the conflicts to come.

Upon stepping down from the podium, Brizola left behind an energized crowd and a fractured political climate. His speech would be remembered as one of the gravest moments of that night. And the image of the congressman with a revolver on display became the epitome of the tension hanging over Brazil that March of 1964.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a political rally. In the image, we see a man standing behind a podium, raising his right hand. He is wearing a dark suit and appears to be speaking to a crowd. To his left, another person is partially visible, also wearing a dark suit. In the background, we see microphones and lighting. Behind the podium, there is a wooden structure and restraining ropes. On the right, we see people from the audience, some with long hair.