Itamar Franco

Itamar Augusto Cautiero Franco was born prematurely at sea on a ship traveling between Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, and was registered in Salvador. His father, who had partial German descent through the Stiebler family of Minas Gerais, died before his birth. His mother, named Itália, was of Italian descent, with both of her parents having emigrated from Italy to Brazil. Franco grew up in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, and became a civil engineer in 1955 after graduating from the School of Engineering of Juiz de Fora, part of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora.

Franco entered politics in the mid-1950s, first serving as alderman and deputy mayor of Juiz de Fora before being elected mayor, holding the office from 1967 to 1971 and again from 1973 to 1974. He resigned as mayor in 1974 and successfully ran for the Federal Senate, representing Minas Gerais. He became a senior figure in the Brazilian Democratic Movement, the official opposition to the military regime from 1964 to 1985, and served as deputy leader in 1976 and 1977. Re-elected as a senator in 1982, he lost a bid for governor of Minas Gerais in 1986 as a candidate of the Liberal Party. During his Senate term, he was a key figure in the failed initiative to immediately restore direct presidential elections and served as the Liberal Party leader in the chamber.

As a member of the National Constituent Assembly starting 1 February 1987, Franco voted for severing relations with countries practicing racial discrimination, establishing collective writ of mandamus, a 40-hour work week with 50% overtime pay, legalizing abortion, continuous six-hour shifts with proportional notice, union unity, popular sovereignty, nationalizing subsoil and the financial system, limiting external debt payments, and creating a fund for land reform. He voted against reintroducing the death penalty, confirming the presidential system, and extending President José Sarney’s term, whom he opposed and called for removal over alleged corruption. Sarney later became an ally during Franco’s presidency.

In 1989, Franco left the Liberal Party and joined the small National Reconstruction Party to become the running mate of presidential candidate Fernando Collor de Mello. He was chosen partly because he represented the large state of Minas Gerais, contrasting with Collor’s small state of Alagoas, and due to publicity from his call to impeach President Sarney. Collor and Franco narrowly won against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who later became president. As vice president, Franco broke with Collor, threatening resignation several times over disagreements with policies, especially privatization. On 29 September 1992, Collor was impeached by Congress, and Franco became acting president on 2 October. Collor resigned on 29 December as the Senate was set to convict him, and Franco formally took office as president. When he became acting president, polls showed most of the population did not know who he was.

Franco’s presidency began during a severe economic crisis, with inflation at 1,110% in 1992 and nearly 2,400% in 1993. He gained a reputation as a mercurial leader but appointed Fernando Henrique Cardoso as finance minister, who launched the Plano Real, stabilizing the economy and ending inflation. Before taking office, Franco handed senators a list of his personal net worth and properties. His initial approval rating reached 60 percent. During his tenure, a plebiscite was held on Brazil’s form and system of government, confirming the continuation of the presidential republic. Franco served as president from 29 December 1992 to 1 January 1995. He later served as senator, mayor, ambassador, and governor. At the time of his death on 2 July 2011, he was a senator from Minas Gerais, having won the seat in the 2010 election.