João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo
João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo [ ˈʒwɐ̃w̃ baˈt͡ʃistɐ dʒi oliˈvejɾɐ figejˈɾedu ] (born January 15, 1918 in Rio de Janeiro ; † December 24, 1999 ibid) was President of Brazil from 1979 to 1985 .
Life
During the reign of his predecessor Ernesto Geisel , João Figueiredo was head of the Secret Service Serviço Nacional de Informações (SNI). After his election by the ruling party Aliança Renovadora Nacional (ARENA), he held the office of President from March 15, 1979 to March 15, 1985. He continued the democratization of the country that Geisel had begun, granted political exiles amnesty , liberalized the right to vote and press censorship, and reformed the previous one-party system , creating new parties.
Due to the poor economic situation in Brazil, João Figueiredo became increasingly unpopular. In 1983 the first demonstrations took place calling for a return to democracy and a democratic election of the president. He opposed it, but the opposition under Tancredo Neves prevailed in the Brazilian Congress and elected Neves as his successor in 1985.
Awards
- 1972: Grand Cross of the Order of Avis
- 1973: Grand Cross of the Order of Christ
- 1978: Grand Cross of the Order of the Infante Dom Henrique
- 1981: Collane of the Order of St. Jacob of the Sword
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Ernesto Geisel |
President of Brazil 1979–1985 |
Tancredo Neves |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Figueiredo, João Baptista de Oliveira |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Brazilian politician, President of Brazil (1979–1985) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 15, 1918 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rio de Janeiro |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 24, 1999 |
| Place of death | Rio de Janeiro |