Project proposes changing the name of the Castello Branco highway to Eunice Paiva.
The SP-280 highway connects the São Paulo Metropolitan Region to the central region of the state and honors the first president of the military dictatorship.
247 - State Representative Guilherme Cortez (Psol) presented a bill in the Legislative Assembly of the state of São Paulo to rename the SP-280 highway, currently called Presidente Castello Branco, to Eunice Paiva. Her story was portrayed in the film "Still Here," winner of the Oscar for Best International Film. Eunice Paiva is the wife of former congressman Rubens Paiva, who was murdered and tortured by the military during the dictatorship. The film by director Walter Salles, starring actress Fernanda Torres, won the Best International Film award at the 2025 Oscars, marking the first time Brazil won the trophy.
The SP-280 highway connects Greater São Paulo to the central region of the state, passing through municipalities such as Sorocaba and Itu. Since its inauguration, it has honored Castello Branco, the first president of the military dictatorship (1964-1985). He was in power from 1964 to 1967, being succeeded by Artur da Costa e Silva (1967-1969), by the Brazilian military junta of 1969, by Garrastazu Médici (1969-1974), Ernesto Geisel (1974-1979) and João Figueiredo (1979-1985).
In the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo, Representative Guilherme Cortez defended the "need to rename highways, parks, schools, viaducts, and state public buildings that honor historical figures who stood out for persecuting minorities and for violence."
The plot addresses the disappearance of politician Rubens Paiva, father of writer Marcelo Rubens Paiva, during the military dictatorship (1964-1985). The focus of the work is Eunice Paiva. Married to Rubens Paiva and mother of five children, she raised them alone when, in 1971, her husband was arrested, tortured, and murdered.
Released in November 2024, the film was watched by over 5 million people in Brazil and grossed over R$100 million at the box office. Before winning the Oscar in Los Angeles, The In Between She has received 38 national and international awards, including the Goya Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
