Magalhaes, Antonio Carlos

▪ 2008

Antônio Carlos Peixoto de Magalhães 

      Brazilian politician

born Sept. 4, 1927, Salvador, Bahia state, Braz.

died July 20, 2007, São Paulo, Braz.

was a pragmatic power broker who became a regional force as the governor (1970–74, 1979–83, and 1990–94) of Bahia state and established a national foothold as the leader of the right-wing Liberal Front Party (PFL) and as president (1997–2001) of the federal Senate. Though a physician by profession, Magalhães entered politics in the 1950s as a protégé of Brazilian Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek, but when a military coup ousted Kubitschek from office, Magalhães supported the military, which rewarded him with the mayoralship of Salvador. In 1985, after 21 years of military rule, Magalhães switched his alliance to a civilian presidential candidate and helped found the PFL. He served (1985–90) as communications minister in the government of Pres. José Sarney. As governor of Bahia he secured public funding for roads, buildings, and an airport, but he was branded “Evil Tony” by opposition leaders who suffered under his harsh treatment. When Fernando Henrique Cardoso served as president (1995–2003) of Brazil, he realized that he needed the support of Magalhães and his constituents to pass legislation and allowed Magalhães to appoint his cronies to powerful government posts. A scandal involving the disclosure of electronic voting records forced Magalhães to leave the Senate in 2001, but he won back his seat the following year. He was less influential in national politics, however, after left-winger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became Brazil's president in 2002.

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