Samuel Wainer's 'Ultima Hora' (Latest Hour)

'Ultima Hora' (Latest Hour) was a popular newspaper launched by journalist Samuel Wainer around the time Getulio Vargas was elected President of Brazil in 1950. Most of the Brazilian press was politically conservative so 'Ultima Hora' would occupy a uniquely left-of-the-centre position, usually supportive of Vargas' government and running against right-wing hatred-mongers like Carlos Lacerda's 'Tribuna de Imprensa', 'O Globo' or São Paulo's conservative buwarks like 'O Estado de S.Paulo'.  

In 1954, there was an eminence of a right-wing conspiracy leading into a military putsch against democracy, but President Vargas, who was a sharp politician saw right through it and committed suicide turning the tide agains the conspirators. Democracy in Brazil was saved in the nick of time and so 'Ultima Hora' (and Brazilian Democracy) had another 10 years of breathing space. In 1964, with the Cold War at its peak, Brazilian Democracy finally fell victim of the US blind campaign against 'Communism', especially the kind Fidel Castro had just introduced in Cuba.

The USA backed the most backward forces in the country and they finally imposed an ugly Dictatorship led by a short General with no neck that would last for more than 20 years.

'Ultima Hora' was one of the first victims of the new reign of terror. From 1964, until Samuel Wainer sold his newspaper with great losses 'Ultima Hora' wasn't up to scratch to what it had been since 1950. 

'Ultima Hora' was a great mixture of 'popular journalism' (crime, disaster & scandal) and the most sophisticated columnists be them socialites or political analysts.

24 August 1954, Getulio Vargas shoots himself in the heart putting an end to a rigth-wing conspiracy being cooked by journalist Carlos Lacerda with the conservative wing of the Army & Air Force. They wanted Getulio impeached but they only got his dead body instead. The country was outraged and turned against their newpaper 'Tribuna de Imprensa' so the conservatives had to lie low for a while just waiting for the next chance to ambush democracy.

jornalist Samuel Wainer.

Samuel Wainer concocted something new in the early 1950s. His 'Ultima Hora' newspaper would be published in 5 different capital cities, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre, making it Brazil's very first national newspaper before the advent of the satellite age.

It was centre-of-the-left and nationalistic but its make-up was really cosmopolitan having columnists with different political persuasions. Alik Kostakis was its São Paulo high-society priestess. UH carried old Cholly Knickerbocker sydicated column that had started in the Hearst newspaper chain. The show business section always had the best including actress-singer Odete Lara and Miguel Vaccaro Netto an early enthusiast of rock'n'roll and the yankee culture. 

'Ultima Hora' was undoubtedly the best Brazilian newspaper, having an independent view of the world totally opposed to the majority of the conservative papers that always sided with the USA in the Cold War. When it came to the US aggressive position against the Cuban Revolution, UH was there for Castro and for João Goulart's stand. 

Unfortunately, after the 1962's Cuba missile crisis and the escalation of the Cold War everything pointed to the worst possible scenario. Finally, with the coup d'etat in April 1964, Brazil entered a long Dark Age whose aftertaste still lingers on even today (2013).

This blog is an attempt to revive those years between 1957 and 1964, before the Scourge set in. We stress the show-business side of events with politics coming in second place. 

Carlus Maximus, 13 Junho 2012.

'The weapon which is the Vote is with the People' (A arma do voto está como povo). The Brazilian righ-wing was never popular... that's why they tended to be plotting against Democracy eternally.

The headlines shout: Janio renunciou! Janio has renounce! - The only time Brazilian right-wing got to elect a President was in 1960, with Janio Quadros. But Janio, being a 'maverick' was hard to 'harness' and believe it or not, he pursued an independent foreign policy to the chagrin of the conservative parties (UDN/Press) and the USA. In 1961, only 8 months after taking power, Janio ended up being cornered and saw no way out but to renounce the Presidency. The country was plunged into another crisis because the right-wing of the military would not 'allow' the vice-president João Goulart to come back to the country (he was touring China then) to take his post.

Jânio Quadros renounces to the Presidency: 'I was beaten by the Reaction!' 

  Jango (João Goulart) says: I am returning to take my post (as President) or to die.

iAs Jango could not arrive through Rio de Janeiro (due to the Army not allowing his plane to land), his plane flew down to Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul, where his brother-in-law Leonel Brizola was the governor. Part of the Army was against the coup against João Goulart and the rest had to back down. The military putsch was aborted in 1961. Actually it was only postponed because the same conspirators finally got what the wanted in April 1964.

Common people in São Paulo read 'Ultima Hora' about local politics. Adhemar de Barros was a populist politician who had a cunning resemblance with General Perón. He was a powerful agent because differently from most right-wing politician he had a huge following and could veer both to the left or to the right according to the winds.