The Carta Testamento (, ''Testament Letter'') is a letter written by former Brazilian
president
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Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Brazi ...
to the people of Brazil before his
suicide. It is considered to be among the defining documents of 20th century
Brazilian history
The history of Brazil begins with indigenous people in Brazil. Europeans arrived in Brazil at the ending of the 15th century. The first European to claim sovereignty over Indigenous lands part of what is now the territory of the Federative Repub ...
. His letter read: ''"Nothing remains except my blood. I gave you my life, now I give you my death. I choose this way to defend you, for my soul will be with you, my name shall be a flag for your struggle.(...) Serenely, I take my first step on the road to eternity and I leave life to enter History."''
Background
On the night of 24 August 1954, president Vargas was thought to be partly responsible for an assassination attempt against
Carlos Lacerda, who was a leading voice opposing the Vargas policies. The suspicion was supported by the
Brazilian Military
The Brazilian Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas Brasileiras, ) are the unified military forces of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Consisting of three service branches, it comprises the Brazilian Army (including the Brazilian Army Aviati ...
and a sizeable portion of the public.
Upon receiving an ultimatum from the military demanding his resignation, Vargas went from his office into his bedroom and shot himself. He left a note, which was subsequently read to the crowds who had gathered at the presidential residence to demand his resignation. The response was a spontaneous eruption of a supportive chant: "''Getúlio, Getúlio! Queremos Getúlio!''" (Portuguese for "''Getúlio, Getúlio! We Want Getúlio!''").
See also
*
Suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message left behind by a person who dies or intends to die by suicide.
A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depen ...
References
External links
Getúlio Vargas and the Estado Novo
Political history of Brazil
1955 documents
1955 in Brazil
Getúlio Vargas
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