Carlos Lacerda

Lacerda worked between 1914 and 1977 across journalist, politician, lawyer and writer. This article rests on 26 published texts and 16 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — Carlos Lacerda • Office — Governor of Guanabara • Term Start — 5 December 1960 • Term End — 11 October 1965 • 1blankname — Lieutenant • 1namedata — * None (1960–1963) • Elói Dutra (1963–1964) • Rafael Magalhães (1964–1965) • Predecessor — José Sette Câmara • Successor — Negrão de Lima • Office1 — Member of the Chamber of Deputies • Term Start1 — 21 April 1960 • Term End1 — 1 December 1960 • Constituency1 — Guanabara • Term Start2 — 2 February 1955 • Term End2 — 21 April 1960 • Constituency2 — Federal District • Office3 — Councillor of the Federal District • Term Start3 — 14 March 1947 • Term End3 — 16 January 1948 • Constituency3 — At-large • Birth Name — Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda • Born — 30 April 1914 • Birthplace — Rio de Janeiro, Federal District, Brazil • Died — 21 May 1977 • Place of death — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil • Party — UDN (1945–1965) • Alma Mater — National College of Law (LL.B.) • Occupation — Journalist, politician • Awards — * Illustration — x15px Politicians

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Lacerda was the son of a family of politicians from Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro state. He was the son of the politician, tribune and writer Maurício de Lacerda (1888–1959) and Olga Caminhoá Werneck (1892–1979), being the paternal grandson of Sebastião Lacerda, Minister of the Supreme Federal Court and Minister of Transport in the government of Prudente de Morais. For his maternal family, he was great-grandson of botanist Joaquim Monteiro Caminhoá, great-grandson of the baron of Ribeirão, a direct descendant of Inácio de Sousa Vernek, whose family had important political and economic influence in the region; great-nephew of the baron of Maçambara, of the viscount of Cananeia, of the baron of Avelar e Almeida, of the baroness of Werneck, great-nephew of the baron of Santa Fé and great-nephew of the 1st baron of Santa Justa. Lacerda was named after Karl Marx (Carlos) and Friedrich Engels (Frederico). When he was a law student, Lacerda became sympathetic to left-wing ideas, but by the 1940s, he had transformed into a staunch anticommunist and conservative. He started his journalism career at Diário de Notícias (English: Daily News) in 1939. In 1949 he founded the newspaper Tribuna da Imprensa (English: Press Tribune). Starting his political career in 1947, Lacerda was elected to the legislative chamber (city council) of the city of Rio de Janeiro. In 1950, he was elected a National Democratic Union representative for the state of Rio in the Chamber of Deputies. He became well known for his uncompromising opposition of the government of President Getúlio Vargas and even demanded the overthrow of Vargas. He survived an assassination attempt in the Rua Tonelero shooting in August 1954. It is widely believed by historians to have been made by men acting under the orders of Gregório Fortunato, O Anjo Negro (Portuguese for "The Black Angel"), a black man, who was the head of Vargas' personal bodyguards. Brazilian Air Force Major Rubens Florentino Vaz was killed in the attempt, while Lacerda and a municipal guard named Sálvio Romeiro was slightly injured. That sparked a political crisis that culminated with the suicide of Vargas 19 days later. Lacerda was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies later in 1954, with more votes than any other candidate. He also opposed the government of President Juscelino Kubitschek. Lacerda was elected governor of Guanabara State, comprising Rio, in 1960. His administration was praised by the US government and the IMF for his efforts to solve some chronic problems of Rio such as water services, public transportation and housing. As part of this drive, Lacerda ordered areas of the city - often areas targeted by developers - to be cleared of the inhabitants. Over this period, up to 140,000 people were evicted, mostly from the three favelas on the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, located near the beaches of the city's south zone. An opinionated and controversial politician, Lacerda was involved in the crisis of the resignation of President Jânio Quadros in 1961 and conspired against the presidency of João Goulart. Hoping to be elected president in the 1965 elections, Lacerda initially supported the 1964 military coup d'état and was nominated the UDN candidate. Since the military was not willing to give up power, the 1965 elections were cancelled, and Lacerda definitely fell from the military's favor. In 1968, his efforts to restore democracy in Brazil allied him to his old enemies, Kubitschek and Goulart, and Lacerda was arrested for a brief period and stripped of his right to run for political office for ten years. Then, he retired from politics and resumed his journalism and publishing career. In 1977, he died suddenly in Rio de Janeiro from a heart attack. His wife, Leticia, died in 1990. He has been referred to as the Brazilian counterpart of Barry Goldwater.

Lacerda was portrayed by Alexandre Borges in the 2014 biographical drama film Getúlio. Author Rubem Fonseca treats the assassination attempt on Lacerda (Rua Tonelero shooting) as part of his role in the crises events of Rio de Janeiro during August 1954 in his 1990 novel, Crimes of August, (translated from the Brazilian Agosto to English in 2014). His friendship with the architect Lota de Macedo Soares is depicted as a side plot in the 2013 film Flores Raras (Reaching for the Moon), directed by Bruno Barreto and starring Gloria Pires and Miranda Otto. Actor Marcello Airoldi played Lacerda in this biographical drama about the 15 years relationship of American poet Elizabeth Bishop and Lota de Macedo Soares. He is mentioned in the book, "Child of the Dark", The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus.

• Dulles, John W. F. Carlos Lacerda: Brazilian Crusader. Austin: University of Texas, 1996.

Carlos Lacerda was recorded at birth as Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda. The authorities additionally record the heading Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda. His recorded language was Portuguese. He was the child of Maurício Paiva de Lacerda.

Carlos Lacerda is recorded as journalist, politician, lawyer and writer. Established in Library of Congress under n50041316. Established in VIAF under 7411285. Established in FAST under 14133. Lacerda received Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru. Lacerda received Maria Moors Cabot Prizes in 1953. Lacerda received Mergenthaler Award. Recognition and collections. Lacerda received Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru, Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ and Mergenthaler Award.