Mena Barreto

João de Deus Mena Barreto (30 July 1874 – 25 March 1933) was a Brazilian general and politician who briefly served as the president of Brazil while being a member of the provisional military junta of 1930. Born into a historically military family, Mena Barreto took up a military career in 1890. He fought in several internal conflicts, including the Federalist Revolution, a civil war, the 18 of the Copacabana Fort revolt, and a 1924 revolt in the North. With the Revolution of 1930 in Brazil, Mena Barreto and Augusto Tasso Fragoso orchestrated an uprising in the Federal District, overthrowing President Washington Luís and establishing the 1930 junta. After the junta transferred power to revolutionaries, Mena Barreto became the federal interventor for Rio de Janeiro and a mediator in the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932.

Early life and career Early life João de Deus Mena Barreto was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, on 30 July 1874, the son of Rita de Cássia de Oliveira Mello and General José Luís Mena Barreto, inspector of Artillery Corps of Rio Grande do Sul. Since the 18th century, with the tradition having begun with João de Deus Barreto Pereira Pinto (1769–1849), Viscount of São Gabriel, many members of his family had pursued a military career; 15 of them achieved generalship. Mena Barreto entered the Tactical and Shooting School of Rio Pardo in January 1890. In May, along with his colleagues, Mena Barreto joined the palace guard loyal to the state government of Francisco da Silva Tavares, trying to subdue a protest movement against the violent repression of a rally that commemorated the second anniversary of the abolition of slavery. In the events which followed, the state government was overthrown and instability ensued until 1892, when Júlio de Castilhos took over as state president.

Military career In January 1893, after asking to be excluded from the student body at the military academy, Mena Barreto joined the 4th Infantry Battalion, headquartered in São Gabriel. He participated in the fight against the Federalist Revolution, a civil war in Brazil centered in Rio Grande do Sul and neighboring states. The civil war, from February 1893 to August 1895, pitted federalist insurgents against the Castilhos government. Mena Barreto joined the 1st Line Brigade, which fought federalists, in September 1893. After their victory, Mena Barreto was commissioned as an ensign, and he joined the Military School of Rio de Janeiro, then the Federal District, in March 1898. He was promoted to lieutenant in September 1900, and, two months later, he married Ernestina Estela Noronha Mena Barreto. She was of a family with a long history in the Navy, and Mena Barreto had three children with her. He was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Battalion sent to the Amazon to consolidate the military there after the Acre conflict with Bolivia had finished. He attained the rank of captain in November 1904.