Picaretaço

The country of the future - Camisa de Vênus, 1987.

In November 1986, President José Sarney's government announced the Cruzado Plan II, which put an end to the price freeze on basic necessity goods (decreed in February of that year). The measure confirmed yet another failure in the economic team's list of attempts to curb the high rates of hyperinflation, a legacy of the Military Dictatorship years. In March 1987, the increase in rent prices generated further discontent among the population. And social movements expressed their disapproval of the way the president was handling the crisis in new waves of protests, which grew increasingly violent.

On June 25, during an official visit to Rio de Janeiro, the president was harassed by protesters shouting "Fora, Sarney!" at the door of the Academia Brasileira de Letras (ABL). Then, at the Paço Imperial, at the end of another ceremony, the bus carrying the presidential entourage was surrounded and vandalized.

José Sarney (President of the Republic). Attack at Praça XV. On the occasion, the bus carrying the president was attacked with a stone. Photo Juan Carlos Gomez / Agência O Globo

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph. On the left, we see an old building with windows and balconies. In the center, there is a bus marked "Sol Tropical" and the number "85." People are gathered around the bus, some holding megaphones and flags. On the right, more people watch the scene. In the background, there is a modern building with many lit windows.

A pick thrown toward the bench where the president was sitting shattered the window, and he suffered an injury to his hand. Jorge Murad, his private secretary, had his face hit by glass shards. Antônio Martins, president of Radiobrás, suffered a cut on his forehead. Also in the vehicle were the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Moreira Franco, cabinet ministers, and other civil and military authorities. The government team left the scene with an armed escort.

News report on protests against Sarney during an official visit to Rio de Janeiro. O Globo, June 26, 1987, no. 19577. O Globo Collection

Image description: The image is a black-and-white newspaper, with several graphic elements and texts. On the left, there is a photo of demonstrators holding signs and portraits of politicians. On the right, there is a photo of two people at a formal event. The text next to these photos mentions political and cultural events that took place in 1987.

Army outriders and Military Police vans with sirens on cleared the traffic, moving in on the demonstration, while the cars parked nearby were stoned. The episode, which became known as the Picaretaço do Paço Imperial, brought together approximately two thousand people. The unrest, in which the physical safety of the President of the Republic was put at risk, showcased the crisis the country was going through. Rio de Janeiro remained on a war footing for practically the entire year of 1987.