Pacheco da Silva, Osvaldo (1918–)

Osvaldo Pacheco da Silva (b. 4 September 1918), Brazilian national trade union leader. In 1945, as a candidate of the Communist Party (PCB), Pacheco was elected a federal deputy by the dock-workers of the famous "Red Port" of Santos, São Paulo. Ousted from office in 1948, he served as a national PCB organizer until 1957 when he returned to Santos. Respected for his honesty and courage, Pacheco was elected in 1959 president of the National Federation of Stevedores and in 1961 helped form the Pact of Unity and Action (PUA), which united dockworkers, seamen, and railroad workers. He played a key role in the formation of the General Strike Command that in 1962 became the General Labor Command (CGT), serving as secretary general (1962–1963) and first secretary (1963–1964). After the military coup of 31 March 1964, the CGT and PUa were outlawed. Pacheco was arrested; after his release he went into exile. Returning clandestinely in 1967, he continued his PCB activities until his arrest in April 1975. Sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, he was released in December 1978 and subsequently amnestied.

See alsoBrazil, Organizations: General Labor Command (CGT); Communism; Labor Movements.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Israel Beloch and Alzira Alves De Abreu, Dicionário históricobiográfico brasileiro 1930–1983, vol. 3 (1984); on the Santos dockers, see Ingrid Sarti, Porto vermelho (1981) and Arlindo Lucena, "Bagrinhos" e Tubarões (1964).

Additional Bibliography

Jordão, Rogério Pacheco; Lacerda, Paulo; and Frossard, Denise. Crime (quase) perfeito: Corrupção e lavagem de dinheiro no Brasil. São Paulo, SP, Brasil: Editora Fundação Perseu Abramo, 2000.

Ribeiro Gil, Rosangela. Osvaldo Pacheco; Porto-gente-queluta. Rio de Janeiro: Núcleo Piratininga de Comunicacao, 2006.

                                         John D. French