Ernesto Geisel

Ernesto Beckmann Geisel (Portuguese pronunciation: [eʁˈnɛstu ˈbɛkmɐ̃ ˈɡajzew], German pronunciation: [ɛʁˈnɛsto ˈbɛkman ˈɡaɪzl̩]; 3 August 1907 – 12 September 1996) was a Brazilian Army officer and politician, who served as the 29th president of Brazil from 1974 to 1979, during the Brazilian military dictatorship.

Born to German Lutheran immigrants, Geisel attended military prep schools from an early age. He then moved to Rio de Janeiro, graduating as an artillery officer from the Military School of Realengo, now the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras. He entered politics in 1964 when he was appointed Chief of the Military House under President Castelo Branco. He was part of the group of Castelo Branco's military supporters who opposed Marshal Costa e Silva's candidacy for the presidency. Castelo Branco promoted him to the rank of Army General in 1966 and appointed him Minister of the Superior Military Court in 1967. During the Emílio Médici government, he became president of Petrobras, while his brother, Orlando Geisel, served as Minister of the Army. Orlando's support was decisive in Médici's decision to select him as a presidential candidate. In 1974, he ran for president as the candidate of the National Renewal Alliance (ARENA), with Adalberto Pereira dos Santos as his running mate. They won with 400 votes (84.04%) against the opposition ticket of Ulysses Guimarães and Barbosa Lima Sobrinho from the MDB, which received 76 votes (15.96%).

He assumed the presidency of Brazil on March 15, 1974. His government was marked by the beginning of political openness and a softening of the repression imposed by the military dictatorship, but he faced strong opposition from hardline politicians. Significant events during his tenure included the merger of the state of Guanabara with Rio de Janeiro, the division of Mato Grosso with the creation of Mato Grosso do Sul, the resumption of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, recognition of Angola's independence, the signing of nuclear agreements with West Germany, the initiation of Brazil's democratization process, the repeal of AI-5, and significant progress in the construction of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant.

In his post-presidency years, Geisel maintained influence over the military throughout the 1980s. In the 1985 presidential election, he supported the victorious opposition candidate, Tancredo Neves, which helped reduce military resistance to Tancredo's presidency. He later served as president of Norquisa, a holding company in the petrochemical sector.