Brazil was overthrown in a coup in 1964 to halt Jango's fundamental reforms and his independent foreign policy.

247 - The 1964 military coup, the backdrop for the film I'm Still Here, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmIt was an institutional rupture that served both internal and external interests. While conservative sectors in Brazil feared the structural reforms proposed by President João Goulart, the United States saw his independent foreign policy as a threat to American hegemony in Latin America.

With an agenda focused on national sovereignty, Jango defended the need for an autonomous Brazil in both the economic and geopolitical fields. His government deepened relations with countries of the socialist bloc and proposed a series of structural changes that threatened the economic elites, including an agrarian reform that would redistribute unproductive lands. The 1964 coup not only interrupted this project but also aligned the country with a new order of submission to Washington.

Independent foreign policy and the visit to China.

Since assuming the Presidency in 1961, Jango, under the influence of his Foreign Minister San Tiago Dantas, established an independent foreign policy (PEI), distancing himself from automatic subordination to American interests. The Brazilian government sought to diversify its diplomatic and commercial relations, strengthening ties with countries of the socialist bloc, such as the Soviet Union, China, and Cuba.

A landmark of this policy was the visit of a Brazilian delegation to China in 1961, led by Vice-President João Goulart. The trip provoked a strong reaction from conservative sectors and Washington, who began to associate Jango with communism – a strategy used to destabilize his government. The rapprochement with Beijing was seen as a direct challenge to the Monroe Doctrine, which advocated the exclusive influence of the US over Latin America.

The independent foreign policy also included strengthening trade with Eastern European countries and advocating for a non-aligned Brazil in the Cold War. The Goulart government maintained relations with both Washington and Moscow, refusing to accept the imposition of ideological blocs.

Fundamental reforms and the reaction of the elites

Domestically, Jango advocated for structural changes to reduce inequalities and strengthen the national economy. basic reformsThe proposals presented during his administration included:

• Land reform: distribution of unproductive land to rural workers, reducing land concentration and boosting agricultural production.
• Urban reform: rent regulation and guarantee of affordable housing for the poorest population.
• Banking reform: expansion of credit for small producers and control over the financial system.
• educational reformExpanding access to public education and combating illiteracy.
• Tax reform: creation of progressive taxes on large fortunes and properties.

These measures faced strong resistance from the agrarian, industrial, and financial elites, who saw them as a threat to their privileges. Supported by the military and the mainstream press, the conservative opposition intensified its anti-communist rhetoric and began to openly conspire against Jango.

The coup and the role of the United States.

The U.S. government, concerned about the rise of nationalist politics in Latin America, decided to intervene. Declassified documents show that the United States funded opposition groups and prepared the... Operation Brother Sam, a military plan to support the coup plotters with weapons, ships, and marines, in case of resistance.

On March 31, 1964, military troops began the overthrow of Goulart. The following day, he went into exile without armed resistance. The coup inaugurated a regime that would last 21 years, marked by repression, censorship, and total submission to American interests.

The 1964 coup was not merely an attack on democracy, but a strategic move to curtail Brazil's sovereignty. The interruption of fundamental reforms and the reversal of independent foreign policy consolidated a model of economic dependence and automatic alignment with the United States, the consequences of which extended for decades.