Vargas’s “Suicide Notes”
Testamentary Letter of President Getulio Vargas Left on the Bedside Table Next to his Body, 24 August 1954

"Once more the forces and interests that oppose the people have been organized and are unleashed upon me. Rather than accuse me, they insult me; they do not fight me, they vilify me and do not allow me the right to defend myself. They must drown my voice and impede my actions so that I shall not continue to defend the people as I always have, especially the humble.

I follow my destiny. After decades of domination and plunder by international economic and financial groups, I placed myself at the head of a revolution and won. I began the work of liberation and I restored a regime of social freedom. I had to resign. I returned to the Government on the shoulders of the people. The underground campaign of international groups allied with rebellious national groups that opposed the program of guaranteed employment. The extraordinary profits law was held up in Congress. Hatred was unleashed against the just revision of the minimum wage. The potentialization of our resources through Petrobrás would create national freedom; this had hardly begun to operate when the wave of agitation swelled. Eletrobrás was obstructed to the point of desperation. They do not want the worker to be free. They do not want the people to be independent. I assumed the Government in the midst of an inflationary spiral which was destroying the value of work. Profits for foreign companies were reaching as much as 500 percent per year. In declaration of import values, evidence showed frauds of more than $100 million per year. With the coffee crisis, our main product increased in value. We tried to defend the price, and the response was violent pressure on our economy until we were obliged to yield.

I have fought month by month, day by day, hour by hour, in resistance to constant, incessant pressure, bearing everything in silence, forgetting everything, yielding myself in order to defend the people who, if I fail, are abandoned. There is nothing more I can give you except my blood. If the birds of prey want someone's blood, if they want to go on draining the Brazilian people, I offer my life as the holocaust.

I choose this way to be always with you. When they humiliate you, you will feel my soul suffering by your side. When hunger knocks at your door, you will feel in your breast the energy to fight for yourselves and for your children. When you are slandered, my memory will give you the strength to respond. My sacrifice will keep you united and my name will be your fighting flag. Each drop of my blood will be an immortal flame in your conscience and will maintain the sacred will to resist. To hatred I reply with pardon.

And to those who think they have defeated me, I reply with my victory. I was a slave to the people, and today I free myself for eternal life. But this people, to whom I was slave, will no longer be slave to anyone. My sacrifice will be forever in its soul and my blood will be the price of its ransom. I fought against the exploitation of Brazil. I fought against the exploitation of the people. I have fought with my whole heart. Hatred, infamy and slander have not conquered my spirit. I gave my life to you. Now I offer you my death. I fear nothing. Calmly I take the first step toward eternity and leave life to enter History."