The Carta Testamento (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkaʁtɐ teʃtaˈmẽtu], Letter of Testament) is a letter written by former Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas to the citizens of Brazil before his suicide.[1] It is considered to be among the defining documents of 20th century Brazilian history. His letter read: "Nothing remains except my blood. I gave you my life, now I give you my death. I choose this way to defend you, for my soul will be with you, my name shall be a flag for your struggle.(...) Serenely, I take my first step on the road to eternity and I leave life to enter History."[1]
On the night of 24 August 1954, President Vargas was thought to be partly responsible for an assassination attempt against Carlos Lacerda, who was a leading voice opposing the Vargas regime. The suspicion was supported by the Brazilian Military and a sizeable portion of the public.
Upon receiving an ultimatum from the military demanding his resignation, Vargas went from his office into his bedroom and shot himself. He left a note, which was subsequently read to the crowds who had gathered at the presidential residence to demand his resignation. The response was a spontaneous eruption of a supportive chant: "Getúlio, Getúlio! Queremos Getúlio!" (Portuguese for "Getúlio, Getúlio! We Want Getúlio!").