Eduardo Gomes
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal Eduardo Gomes (20 September 1896 – 13 June 1981) was a Brazilian politician and military figure. He was born in Petrópolis
, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
.
Gomes joined the army when he started his course at the Realengo
Military School. He finished this course in 1918 and, in December of the same year, he was transferred to Curitiba
. In 1921 he started his course at the Military Aviation School in Rio de Janeiro
. In the same year, the presidential campaign divided the oligarchies. Some military officers planned a coup to stop the candidate of the party in power, Artur da Silva Bernardes
, if he was elected. However, the imprisonment of ex-president Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca
and the closing of the Military Club precipitated the start a rebellion on July 5, 1922. The rebels gave up quickly and only 28 resisted inside the Fort Copacabana
. Gomes proposed that the rebels leave the fortress and face the government troops. They left, armed, and the diehard rebel group is still known as the 18 of the Copacabana Fortress.
Gomes was arrested but in 1923 he left prison. At the end of 1924, Gomes tried to join another rebellion in the south of Brazil led by Luís Carlos Prestes
. He was arrested in Santa Catarina
and transferred to Rio de Janeiro
. He was transferred from one prison to another, until he was sent to Trindade Island
.
When Washington Luís became President of Brazil
in 1926, all the prisoners from Trindade Island were released. The next June, Gomes was nearly arrested again, but he escaped to Campos
, in Rio de Janeiro
. Two years later, he handed himself in to the authorities and was imprisoned for two years.
In 1930, Gomes was freed, and once again was involved in revolutionary activities—this time with the intent of preventing president-elect Júlio Prestes
from taking office. With the victory of the rebels, the ouster of president Washington Luís, and his replacement by Getúlio Vargas
, he remained in high military command and notably led the 1st Aviation Division against a communist uprising in 1937. However, he resigned his military command following the establishment of the Estado Novo
and became an opponent of Vargas.
Gomes was in the group that created the Military Air Post (Correio Aéreo Militar, CAM) in 1931. In December 1945 Gomes was the candidate of the anti-Vargas conservative UDN for President of Brazil
, but he lost the election to Eurico Gaspar Dutra
. In October 1950 he ran again and lost to Getúlio Vargas
.
In 1954 he was the Minister of Aeronautics in the brief administration of João Café Filho
that followed the suicide of President Vargas. He was in favor of the military takeover in 1964 that overthrew João Goulart
, a vice-president who had taken office in 1961 upon the resignation of Jânio Quadros
. In February 1965, still as Minister of Aeronautics, Gomes signed a controversial decree that shut down Panair do Brasil
, the country's flag carrier airline. He remained as Minister of Aeronautics until the end of the government of Humberto de Alencar Castello Branco, when he left public life (1967). Eduardo Gomes died on June 13, 1981.
Eduardo Gomes International Airport
, in Manaus
, Amazonas, is named after him.
Petrópolis
Petrópolis , also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, is a town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 65 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro....
, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
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...
.
Gomes joined the army when he started his course at the Realengo
Realengo
Realengo is a neighborhood in northern Rio de Janeiro. The lower and middle class neighborhood is between the Mendanha and Pedra Branca mountains...
Military School. He finished this course in 1918 and, in December of the same year, he was transferred to Curitiba
Curitiba
Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is the largest city with the biggest economy of both Paraná and southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.75 million people and the latest GDP figures for the city surpass US$61 billion according to...
. In 1921 he started his course at the Military Aviation School in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. In the same year, the presidential campaign divided the oligarchies. Some military officers planned a coup to stop the candidate of the party in power, Artur da Silva Bernardes
Artur da Silva Bernardes
Artur da Silva Bernardes was a Brazilian politician in the early 20th century. Born in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, he was elected governor of Minas Gerais in 1918. In 1922, he was elected president of Brazil and served until 1926. Facing a military rebellion, Bernardes ruled under a state of siege...
, if he was elected. However, the imprisonment of ex-president Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca
Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca
Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca was a Brazilian soldier and politician. The nephew of Deodoro da Fonseca, the first Brazilian President, he was the country's Minister of War in 1906...
and the closing of the Military Club precipitated the start a rebellion on July 5, 1922. The rebels gave up quickly and only 28 resisted inside the Fort Copacabana
Fort Copacabana
Fort Copacabana is a military base at the south end of the beach that defines the district of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro...
. Gomes proposed that the rebels leave the fortress and face the government troops. They left, armed, and the diehard rebel group is still known as the 18 of the Copacabana Fortress.
Gomes was arrested but in 1923 he left prison. At the end of 1924, Gomes tried to join another rebellion in the south of Brazil led by Luís Carlos Prestes
Luís Carlos Prestes
Luís Carlos Prestes was a leader of the 1920s tenente rebellion and the Communist opposition to the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas in Brazil....
. He was arrested in Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
and transferred to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. He was transferred from one prison to another, until he was sent to Trindade Island
Trindade and Martim Vaz
Trindade and Martim Vaz is an archipelago located about 1,200 kilometers east of Vitória in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, belonging to the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The archipelago has a total area of 10.4 km² and a population of 32...
.
When Washington Luís became President of Brazil
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...
in 1926, all the prisoners from Trindade Island were released. The next June, Gomes was nearly arrested again, but he escaped to Campos
Campos dos Goytacazes
Campos dos Goytacazes is a municipality and city located in the northern area of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, with a population of 463,545 inhabitants. Its area is 4,031.910 km², which makes it the largest municipality in the state and its elevation is 14 m...
, in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
. Two years later, he handed himself in to the authorities and was imprisoned for two years.
In 1930, Gomes was freed, and once again was involved in revolutionary activities—this time with the intent of preventing president-elect Júlio Prestes
Júlio Prestes
Júlio Prestes de Albuquerque was a Brazilian politician. Governor of São Paulo state in 1926, he was elected president of Brazil on March 1, 1930, but never took office because the government was overthrown in the Revolution of 1930 that brought Getulio Vargas to power, three weeks before Prestes'...
from taking office. With the victory of the rebels, the ouster of president Washington Luís, and his replacement by 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...
, he remained in high military command and notably led the 1st Aviation Division against a communist uprising in 1937. However, he resigned his military command following the establishment of the Estado Novo
Estado Novo (Brazil)
Vargas Era is the period in the history of Brazil that lasted from 1930 to 1945, when the country was under the leadership of Getúlio Dornelles Vargas....
and became an opponent of Vargas.
Gomes was in the group that created the Military Air Post (Correio Aéreo Militar, CAM) in 1931. In December 1945 Gomes was the candidate of the anti-Vargas conservative UDN for President of Brazil
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...
, but he lost the election to Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra , was a Brazilian marshal, politician and president of Brazil from 1946–1951.He was born in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, and like many other Brazilians, was from Azorean-Portuguese origin...
. In October 1950 he ran again and lost to 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...
.
In 1954 he was the Minister of Aeronautics in the brief administration of João Café Filho
João Café Filho
João Fernandes Campos Café Filho was a Brazilian politician. Born in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte state, Café Filho was a journalist and federal deputy, elected vice-president in 1950, under Getúlio Vargas. Following the Vargas suicide in 1954, Café Filho assumed the presidency...
that followed the suicide of President Vargas. He was in favor of the military takeover in 1964 that overthrew João Goulart
João Goulart
João Belchior Marques Goulart was a Brazilian politician and the 24th President of Brazil until a military coup d'état deposed him on April 1, 1964. He is considered to have been the last left-wing President of the country until Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003.-Name:João Goulart is...
, a vice-president who had taken office in 1961 upon the resignation of Jânio Quadros
Jânio Quadros
Jânio da Silva Quadros , , was a Brazilian politician who served as President of Brazil for only 7 months in 1961.-Career:...
. In February 1965, still as Minister of Aeronautics, Gomes signed a controversial decree that shut down Panair do Brasil
Panair do Brasil
Panair do Brasil is a defunct airline of Brazil. Between 1945 and 1965 it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America.-NYRBA do Brasil :...
, the country's flag carrier airline. He remained as Minister of Aeronautics until the end of the government of Humberto de Alencar Castello Branco, when he left public life (1967). Eduardo Gomes died on June 13, 1981.
Eduardo Gomes International Airport
Eduardo Gomes International Airport
Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes-Manaus International Airport , is the main airport serving Manaus, Brazil. It is named after the Brazilian politician and military figure Air Marshall Eduardo Gomes ....
, in Manaus
Manaus
Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....
, Amazonas, is named after him.