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Ulysses Guimarães
Historical figureBrazil1916-1992

Ulysses Guimarães

President of the National Constituent Assembly (1987-1988) · President of the Chamber of Deputies

A deputy who headed Brazil's lawful opposition to the generals, campaigned for direct elections and chaired the body that drafted the 1988 'Citizen Constitution'.

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Profile on 12 axes11 of 12 documented
ECONOMYSTATESOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign
Where they stood

Ulysses Guimarães, axis by axis

  1. 01Ownership-10
    PublicPrivate
  2. 02Markets-15
    PlannedFree
  3. 03Welfare-35
    SharedSelf-reliant

    The score leans on the 1988 Constitution he chaired, which expanded social rights and promised public health care and social security to all.

  4. 04Authority-70
    DemocraticStrong leader

    He first welcomed the 1964 coup along with much of the PSD, then switched to the opposition and led lawful resistance to the generals for two decades.

  5. 05Security-50
    LibertyOrder
  6. 06Structure-10
    LocalCentral
  7. 07Morality0
    ProgressiveTraditional

    Leading a coalition, he rarely took personal stands on family or moral questions, and the 1988 text reflects compromises.

  8. 08Religion0
    SecularReligious
  9. 09TechnologyNo clear record
    EmbraceCaution

    No position on technology policy is recorded.

  10. 10Culture0
    MulticulturalNational identity
  11. 11Trade+20
    GlobalProtected

    The 1988 Constitution contained economic nationalist rules, such as preferences for Brazilian-owned firms. Still, he mainly brokered deals and did not author a trade doctrine.

  12. 12Foreign policy-20
    CooperationStrength

One axis has no clear record, so matching leaves it out.

Who was Ulysses Guimarães?

Born into a lawyer's career in Rio Claro, São Paulo, Ulysses Guimarães first won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies in 1950, for the PSD. In 1961-1962 he was a minister for industry and commerce. After the generals created a two-party system in 1965, he went into the opposition MDB and became its president. His 1973 'anticandidacy' against the regime's nominee was a symbolic protest at censorship and repression. He became a leading face of Diretas Já in 1984, chaired the 1987-1988 assembly and stood for president in 1989. He died in 1992 when a helicopter crashed off Rio de Janeiro.

Political views

  • His 1973-1974 anticandidacy was a platform against the censorship that gagged newspapers, broadcasting, theater and cinema under the generals.Source: www18.fgv.br
  • He took part in the 1984 Diretas Já movement for direct presidential elections.Source: www18.fgv.br
  • He guided the drafting of the 1988 Constitution and gave it the nickname 'Citizen Constitution' for its broad civil and social rights.Source: www18.fgv.br
  • He supported a charter that turned health care for all, social security and workplace protections into rights that come with citizenship.Source: planalto.gov.br
  • He saw defending constitutional order as a duty to the country, and he condemned dictatorship and tyranny across Latin America.Source: camara.leg.br
  • He preferred negotiation and wide opposition fronts, which kept together a PMDB that included conservatives and former leftists.Source: www18.fgv.br

Legacy

In 1984 the press dubbed him 'Senhor Diretas' (Mr. Direct Elections), and Brazil remembers him as a symbol of its return to democracy. Admirers say he kept a lawful opposition alive during military rule and led a split assembly to a constitution that broadened rights and restored civilian institutions. Critics of the 1988 text, mostly economic liberals, say it tied the state to expensive social and budget promises and to nationalist economic rules. Some of these were changed later. Others recall that he first backed the 1964 coup and did badly in the 1989 race, when voters wanted new faces. His 1973 slogan 'Navegar é preciso, viver não é preciso' became a lasting opposition emblem.

In their own words

“We hate dictatorship. Hatred and disgust.”
Speech at the promulgation of the Constitution, 5 October 1988, translated from Portuguese
“A traitor to the Constitution is a traitor to the homeland.”
Speech at the promulgation of the Constitution, 5 October 1988, translated from Portuguese

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Ulysses Guimarães: questions

Was Ulysses Guimarães left or right?

He led the PMDB, a broad front of conservatives and ex-leftists. People remember him best as a democrat who resisted military rule and presided over a constitution with strong social rights.

Why was Ulysses Guimarães called Senhor Diretas?

Journalists coined it in 1984 because he was a leader of the push for direct presidential elections, Diretas Já.

Why is Ulysses Guimarães linked to the Citizen Constitution?

He presided over the assembly of 1987-1988 and steered it to a final text. The label 'Citizen Constitution' was his, chosen for its wide civil and social rights.

Sources