Sylvio Frota

Sylvio Couto Coelho da Frota (26 August 1910 – 23 October 1996) was a Brazilian army general and minister of the Army during the Ernesto Geisel government.

Biography

Sylvio Frota studied at Colégio Pedro II. In 1928 he entered the Military School of Realengo.

He married Ídia Pragana da Frota. Frota had two children, one of them being Navy officer Luís Pragana da Frota.

On 20 December 1977, Frota was awarded the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Avis of Portugal.

Frota was Roman Catholic.

Military career In August 1934 he was promoted to first lieutenant.

In July 1972 Frota was promoted to army general.

With Ernesto Geisel's inauguration on 15 March 1974, he was appointed Chief of the Army General Staff on 19 April, where he remained for a short time, until 28 May of that year.

Army Minister Sylvio Frota assumed the Ministry of the Army on 27 May 1974, after the death of the portfolio holder, General Vicente de Paulo Dale Coutinho.

As an extreme anti-communist, Frota represented the hardline of the Brazilian military regime.

The death of worker Manuel Fiel Filho in January 1976, shortly after the death of journalist Vladimir Herzog, caused much opposition and friction with President Geisel.

After that, he avoided further public pronouncements until he died in 1996.