Dutra, Eurico Gaspar (1883–1974)

Eurico Gaspar Dutra (b. 18 May 1883; d. 11 June 1974), president of Brazil (1945–1951). Son of merchant José Florêncio Dutra and Maria Justina Dutra, Dutra was born in Cuiabá, state of Mato Grosso. He married Carmela Leite, widow of Uchoa Cintra, on 19 February 1914; they had two children.

Dutra studied at the Escola Preparatória e Tática of Rio Pardo and completed his military studies at the Escola Militar do Brasil. After distinguishing himself during the Constitutionalist Revolution, Dutra became a general in 1932. In 1935 he was made commandant of Military Region I and put down the Communist rebellion of 27 November 1935 in Rio de Janeiro.

As minister of war (1936–1945) during the Getúlio Vargas dictatorship, Dutra organized the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB), which saw combat in Europe during World War II. During this period, he actively participated in the Golpe Integra-lista (Integralist Coup) of 1937, for which he laid the groundwork. Dutra was also deeply involved in Vargas's nationalistic campaign to maintain Brazilian ownership of the nation's petroleum under the banner of "O petróleo é nosso" (the oil is ours).

In 1946 Dutra was elected president of Brazil and served until 31 January 1951. Not known as a charismatic figure, Dutra was respected for his honesty and ability to complete a full presidential term. Two Brazilian municipalities were named in his honor. Pursuing a close relationship with the United States, Dutra received President Harry S. Truman in Brazil, made an official visit to the United States, and broke relations with the Soviet Union. During his presidency, Dutra implemented a number of reforms in the federal government, including the establishment of the Tribunal Federal de Recursos, the Conselho Nacional de Economia, and the regional planning commissions.

See alsoBrazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB); Vargas, Getúlio Dornelles.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Additional Bibliography

Aggio, Alberto, Agnaldo de Sousa Barbosa, and Hercídia Mara Facuri Coelho Lambert. Política e sociedade no Brasil, 1930–1964. São Paulo: Annablume, 2002.

Johnson, Ollie A. Brazilian Party Politics and the Coup of 1964. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2001.

Pomar, Pedro Estevam da Rocha. A democracia intolerante: Dutra, Adhemar e a repressão ao Partido Comunista, 1946–1950. São Paulo: Arquivo do Estado: Imprensa Oficial do Estado, 2002.

Skidmore, Thomas E. Politics in Brazil, 1930–1964: An Experiment in Democracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986.

                                         IÊda Siqueira Wiarda