Constitutionalist Revolution
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The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 (sometimes also referred to as Paulista War) is the name given to the uprising of part of the population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo against the federal government. The movement grew out of local disappointment at the loss of political pre-eminence São Paulo elites had enjoyed prior to the 1930 Revolution. Its main goal was to press the provisional government headed by Getúlio Vargas to enact a new Constitution, since it had revoked the previous one, adopted in 1889. However, as the movement developed and resentment against President Getúlio Vargas grew deeper, it came to advocate the overthrow of the Federal Government and even the secession of São Paulo from the Brazilian federation.
The uprising started on July 9, 1932, after five protesting students were killed by government troops on May 23, 1932. On the wake of their deaths, a movement called MMDC (from the initials of the names of each of the four students killed, Martins, Miragaia, Dráusio and Camargo) started. A fifth victim, Alvarenga, was also shot that night, but died months later.
In a few months, the state of São Paulo rebelled against the federal government. Counting on the solidarity of the political elites of two other powerful states, (Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul), the politicians of São Paulo expected a quick war. However, that solidarity was never translated into actual support, and the São Paulo revolt was militarily crushed on October 2, 1932.
In spite of its military defeat, some of the movement's main demands were finally granted by President Getúlio Vargas afterwards: the appointment of a non-military state Governor, the election of a Constituent Assembly and, finally, the enactment of a new Constitution in 1934. However that Constitution was short lived, as in 1937, amidst growing extremism on the left and right wings of the political spectrum, President Getúlio Vargas closed the National Congress and enacted another Constitution, which established an authoritarian regime called Estado Novo.
For an off-beat look at this revolution by a traveler caught in the middle, see Peter Fleming's book Brazilian Adventure.
