BusinessmenmeetattheInstituteforSocialResearchandStudies(IPES)

1964

Nayara Henriques

One of the coup's headquarters was the Edifício Avenida Central. Located on Avenida Rio Branco, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, the building was the address of the Institute for Research and Social Studies (IPES). IPES was made up of the Brazilian business elite as well as officers from the Escola Superior de Guerra (ESG). The public goal behind its founding was “carrying out studies focused on Brazilian reality.” But there was much more going on behind the windows of the 27th floor.

Financed by national and multinational companies, IPES developed a broad network of ideological propaganda, using films, pamphlets, books, and public events to spread a strongly anti-communist rhetoric opposed to the reforms proposed by João Goulart's government. This narrative aimed to mobilize various sectors of society, such as businessmen, political leaders, and even religious groups, against the government they considered a threat to the economic and social order.

Structurally, IPES was highly organized, with committees dedicated to strategic planning, information gathering, and the formulation of political and economic guidelines. It had logistical support, including communication systems advanced for the time, external funding, and a network of influential allies in the business sector and the Armed Forces. This structure enabled not only the articulation of the coup but also the maintenance of its agenda after the fall of João Goulart.

Among its most emblematic actions, the political destabilization campaign and the creation of the National Intelligence Service (SNI), led by general Golbery do Couto e Silva, one of IPES's main strategists, stand out. The Institute was also crucial for forming alliances with entities such as the Brazilian Institute for Democratic Action (IBAD), the Popular Democratic Action (ADEP), and PROMOTION (Incrementadora de Vendas Promotion S/A), which channeled financial and logistical resources to support anticommunist candidates and coup-oriented initiatives. Its strategy included financing highly effective propaganda campaigns, which relied on emotional appeals and alarmist rhetoric to convince various sectors of society of the supposed risks posed by Jango's government. In this way, the Institute not only fostered opposition to João Goulart but also legitimized, before segments of public opinion, the need for his removal.

IPES did not just plan the coup. It also structured the political agenda of the military regime that followed. Its activities extended to the definition of economic policies, control of government bodies, and coordination with international business. Thus, the Institute established itself as a pioneering model of coordination between economic and military elites, shaping Brazil's political and economic future for the benefit of its supporters.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph. In the central part, we see a man sitting in a chair, wearing a suit and tie. He is looking to the left. To his left, there is another person partially visible, also seated, with short hair. In the background, there is a window with wooden frames. The spatial arrangement goes from the foreground, where the partial faces are, to the background, where the window is.