Carta testamento
Encyclopedia
The Carta Testamento (ˈkaʁtɐ teʃtaˈmẽtu, Letter of Testament) is a letter written by former Brazil
ian President
Getúlio Vargas
to the citizens of Brazil before his suicide. It is considered to be among the defining documents of 20th century Brazilian history
. 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."
attempt against Carlos Lacerda
, who was a leading voice opposing the Vargas regime. The suspicion was supported by the Brazilian Military 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!").
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian President
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
to the citizens of Brazil before his suicide. It is considered to be among the defining documents of 20th century Brazilian history
History of Brazil
The history of Brazil begins with the arrival of the first indigenous peoples, thousands of years ago by crossing the Bering land bridge into Alaska and then moving south....
. 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 assassinationAssassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempt against Carlos Lacerda
Carlos Lacerda
Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda was a Brazilian journalist and politician.Born in Rio de Janeiro, Lacerda was the son of a family of politicians from Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro State....
, who was a leading voice opposing the Vargas regime. The suspicion was supported by the Brazilian Military 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!").