Tancredo Neves

His Excellency Tancredo Neves
Official portrait as Prime Minister, 1962
President-elect of Brazil
In role 15 March 1985 – 21 April 1985
Vice President	José Sarney (elect)
Preceded by	João Figueiredo
Succeeded by	José Sarney
Prime Minister of Brazil
In office 8 September 1961 – 12 July 1962
President	João Goulart
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Brochado da Rocha
Further offices held Governor of Minas Gerais In office 15 March 1983 – 14 August 1984 Vice Governor Hélio Garcia Preceded by Francelino Pereira Succeeded by Hélio Garcia Senator for Minas Gerais In office 1 February 1979 – 15 March 1983 Preceded by Magalhães Pinto Succeeded by Alfredo Campos Member of the Chamber of Deputies In office 3 February 1963 – 1 February 1979 Constituency Minas Gerais In office 30 August 1954 – 1 February 1955 Constituency Minas Gerais In office 12 March 1951 – 25 June 1953 Constituency Minas Gerais Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs In office 26 June 1953 – 24 August 1954 President Getúlio Vargas Preceded by Negrão de Lima Succeeded by Miguel Seabra Fagundes State Deputy of Minas Gerais In office 1 August 1947 – 12 March 1951 Constituency At-large
Personal details
Born	(1910-03-04)4 March 1910 São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Died	21 April 1985(1985-04-21) (aged 75) São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Political party	See list PP (1933–1934) PPM (1934–1937) PNM (1937–1945) PSD (1945–1965) MDB (1965–1979) PP (1980–1981) PMDB (1982–1985)
Spouse	Risoleta Guimarães Tolentino ​ ​ (m. 1938)​
Children	3
Alma mater	UFMG Faculty of Law
Signature

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Tancredo de Almeida Neves SFO (Portuguese pronunciation: [tɐ̃ˈkɾedu dʒi awˈmejdɐ ˈnɛvis]) (4 March 1910 – 21 April 1985) was a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and entrepreneur. He served as Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs from 1953 to 1954, President of the Council of Ministers from 1961 to 1962, Minister of Finance in 1962, and as Governor of Minas Gerais from 1983 to 1984. He was elected President of the Republic in 1985, but died before taking office.

He began his political career with the Progressistas (PP) of Minas Gerais, for whom he served as city councilman of São João del Rei from 1935 to 1937. He received the majority of votes and became President of the Municipal Legislature.^[1] He was elected state representative (1947–1950) and congressman (1951–1953) as a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He took office in June 1953, acting as Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs until the suicide of President Getúlio Vargas.^[1]

In 1954 Neves was elected congressman and served for one year. From 1956 to 1958 he was director of Banco de Crédito Real de Minas Gerais and President of Carteira de Redescontos of Banco do Brasil from 1956 to 1958. From 1958 to 1960 he headed the Department of Finance of Minas Gerais. Neves was nominated President of the Council of Ministers after President Jânio Quadros resigned and the introduction of the Parliamentary Regime in 1961 and was re-elected congressman in 1963.

He was a leader of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), a political party created on 27 October 1965 through the Institutional Act Number Two (AI-2) which abolished all existing parties and the institution of bi-partisanship. He was later re-elected congressman several times between 1963 and 1979. After the re-institution of a multiparty system Neves became a senator as a member of the MDB in 1978 and founded the Popular Party (PP) with which he continued to serve until 1982. He joined the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) the following year and was elected governor of Minas Gerais where he served from 1983 to 1984. During this period, there was great political turmoil in favour of the movement known as Diretas Já, a civil action that mobilized the youth and proclaimed direct elections for president. But with the defeat of the "Dante de Oliveira amendment", mandated direct elections for president in 1984. Neves was chosen to represent the Democratic Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties.

In 1984, Neves ran for president with the help of Ulysses Guimarães, and was elected President of Brazil on 15 January 1985 by the indirect voting of an electoral college. However, Neves fell gravely ill on the eve of his inauguration, 14 March 1985, and died 38 days afterwards. He died of diverticulitis and never assumed his position as president. While still ill, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of the Valour, Loyalty and Merit.^[2] Although he died before taking his post as president his name has been included in the gallery of Brazilian presidents according to law nº 7.465/1986,^[3] passed on the first anniversary of his death. Neves was the last Mineiro (from the State of Minas Gerais) President to be elected in the 20th century.

Neves was one of the most important Brazilian politicians in the 20th century and one of the major statesmen of Brazilian history. In July 2012 he was elected one of the 100 Greatest Brazilians of All Time in a competition organized by Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão (SBT) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).^[4]