Antonio Carlos Magalhães dies.
Antônio Carlos Magalhães, commonly referred to as ACM, died today at age 79, of multiple failure of organs; ACM spent the last 40 days in a hospital, most of them under intensive therapy.
ACM was the most important politicians of Bahia, one the largest States in Brazil; his current term as Senator would finish in 2010.
ACM and the Magalhães were more than members of an oligarchy, like many others which exist in the North and Northeast of Brazil. The Magalhães were, for several decades, a clan which ruled Bahia (the only family which may compare with the Magalhães are the Sarney, which rule in Maranhão). ACM had strong influence over most Senators, Federal and State Deputies, Mayors and whoever else needed votes in Bahia; being for or against ACM was the difference between being or not elected. ACM was very popular among the Bahianos; despite several controversies along his political career (read below), he always managed to pass the image that whatever he did, he did it for Bahia; in religious Bahia, many bahianos (from all social brows) referred to ACM as the babalorixá, a semi-God.
Antonio Carlos Magalhães was born in Salvador, Bahia, on September 4th 1927. In 1952, he graduated in Medicine. His father, Francisco Peixoto de Magalhães Neto, had been Federal Deputy in the 1930s; from his father, ACM gained the affability with friends and the ferocity with rivals; because of these traits, ACM was dubbed Toninho Malvadeza (Tony Evil).
In 1954, he was elected State Deputy; in 1958, he was elected Federal Deputy. ACM was affiliated with UDN - Democratic National Union, a right-wing Party. Soon he became friends with President Juscelino Kubistchek, and started his path up the political ladder. ACM was a firm supporter of the Military Coup in 1964.
Thanks to his prestige among the Military, he was appointed Mayor of Salvador in 1967 and again in 1970. In 1971, he was elected for the first (out of three) term as Governor of Bahia; with support of the federal Government, ACM started a period of massive investments in the State, which resulted in expressives growths both in the Economy of Bahia and in the popularity of ACM. In 1979, he was again elected Governor of Bahia, and consolidated his popularity.
During the term of President Sarney (1986-1989), ACM was Minister of Telecommunications. In 1991, he was elected (this time in direct elections) Governor of Bahia. ACM was ally of President Fernando Collor (who was eventually impeached) and his successor, Itamar Franco.
In 1994, ACM was elected Senator. ACM was an ally of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. As President of the Senate (at the same time that his son, Luis Eduardo, was President of the Federal Chamber), ACM presided the sessions which voted the important Reforms of the first term of Fernando Henrique.
In 1998, ACM lost his son, Luis Eduardo Magalhães. Young but very respected and influential, Luis Eduardo was a candidate for the succession of Fernando Henrique. ACM saw Luis Eduardo as his successor (today, the most important Magalhães in Brazilian politics is Federal Deputy Antonio Carlos Magalhães Neto, known as ACMzinho - L’il ACM).
In 2000, ACM was charged of bribing the staff of the Senate to have access to the nominal list of voters in a secret ballot; if found guilty, ACM would not be allowed to take public offices for eight years. To escape the trial, ACM resigned to his mandate. In 2002, he was re-elected to the Senate.
After the Senate scandal in 2000, and after the election of Lula in 2002 (ACM and Lula had been political adversaries for a long time), the power of the Magalhães in Bahia started to weaken. The current Mayor of Salvador and Governor of Bahia are rivals of the Magalhães.
In the beginning of Lula’s term, ACM and the President maintained cordial relations, despite ACM belonging to the Democrats, an opposition Party. However, lately, (my opinion) both because ACM noticed that he was losing power in Bahia, and also because of a genuine indignation, ACM repeatedly affirmed that “Lula’s Government is incompetent, and Lula himself is a thief” (see, for example, this video).
With the death of ACM, it remains to be seen how much influence the Magalhães will retain in Bahia.
Fifteen thousand people attended ACM’s wake. Among them, all the dignitaries of Bahia and many Federal dignitaries (in the photo, President of Senate Renan Calheiros, ex-President Jose Sarney and President of the Federal Chamber Arlindo Chinaglia solace ACM Neto).
Antonio Carlos Magalhães was buried with Militar Honors.
The journalist Ricardo Noblat, who maintains one of the most famous political blogs in Brazil, has been publishing a series of video-tapes showing several people talking about the qualities of ACM. To access them, please, check out the Archives of July - 2007 of noblat.com.br.
- July 22nd. Veja magazine published an article about ACM, with the headline The Archaic and the Modern. First paragraph: “The concepts of archaic and modern lived side by side in the figure of the Senator Antonio Carlos Magalhães. Sometimes he personified the Northeastern Colonel of rough methods, sometimes he was the competent administrator, responsible for the big economic development of Bahia over the last decades. Along half a century, he never stepped out of Power and its proximities. Owner of an extraordinary sense of survival, he lent his support to Presidents and political groups when they were at the peak - and didn’t hesitate to move to the opposition when their power declined. “
