By DANIEL AFONSO DA SILVA*
Commentary on the recently released book by Rubens Ricupero
1.
Memoirs, by ambassador Rubens Ricupero, is a book, frankly, fantastic and that honestly deserves to be read.
In various aspects, it represents an event in Brazilian cultural and political life. Long awaited, it retraces, in first person, the trajectory of one of the most important heirs of Baron do Rio Branco as well as a simply exemplary Brazilian.
Born in 1937 and graduated from the Rio Branco Institute in 1958-1961, Rubens Ricupero made his name as a diplomat, ambassador, Minister of State, Minister of Finance, protagonist of the Plano Real, high-ranking official of the Brazilian State, responsible in many areas and parts of the world, senior official in international bureaucracies, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, descendant of immigrants, from the permanently poor neighborhood of Brás and raised in the working-class atmosphere of the city of São Paulo in the 1930s. Memoirs restores all this and much more. Nothing replaces reading the book.
Here are simple appetizers. Just two. One set in Brasília at the time of Jânio Quadros' resignation in 1961. Another, in Washington at the time of Frank Sinatra in 1992.
2.
Scene 1: Brasília, 1961.
1961. Everything was going well. The month was August. Rubens Ricupero, in Brasília, enjoyed the beginning of his career as a diplomat. He had arrived from Rio de Janeiro, where he had joined the Rio Branco Institute in 1958 and, now, in 1961, was an advisor for Itamaraty's relations with Congress in the new capital of Brazil. There, in Brasília, Rubens Ricupero had an office. He held office hours in the annex building of the Chamber of Deputies. He had scheduled a wedding, in São Paulo, with his beloved Marisa. It would be for September. He remained happy. Marisa too.
President Jânio Quadros abused it. He received and decorated Che Guevara. It was August. Month of anguish. Vargas remembered. Getulio Vargas. The day was the 19th. Rubens Ricupero saw Che, spoke to him and, who knows, even liked him. Che. But in Rio, Carlos Lacerda, governor of Guanabara, did not. Not even. And, as a protest, he handed over the keys to the city to a symbolic leader of the opposition to the Havana regime and Che.
The tension was great. The Cold War was going on. The Wall in Berlin was already rising. The Cuban revolution was a fact. The Americans had already committed themselves in Korea. The Europeans were recovering. They lived their glorious years. In France, General de Gaulle had returned. He had returned in 1958. He had refounded the Republic. The Fifth Republic. But he had lost the colony. Algeria, never again. Africans in uproar. In South Africa, the apartheid. In Senegal, all the grace of Léopold Sédar Senghor. Elsewhere, the penetrating images of Aimé Césaire.
In Brazil, it was Jânio Quadros. President “broom”. Histrionic. The man with the notes. Ricupero saw everything. “Eyewitness to History”. Even without working for Esso Reporter. She lived very close by. Brasilia. Rumors grew. Conspiracy too. Things from Brasilia. Things about Rio. Things about power. Carlos Lacerda, from Rio, said that Jânio Quadros would asphyxiate the Legislature by giving a blow to the Constitution. That one. After the Estado Novo. In force since 1946. Deputies believed it. Senators too. The tension grew. Rubens Ricupero watched. I also wrote it down. Until the day came. August 25th.
The year was still 1961. Rubens Ricupero was having lunch at Armando Braga Ruy Barbosa's house. Oldest, most experienced and very valuable diplomat. It was close to 13pm. He rings the phone. It was for Rubens Ricupero. On the other side, Arrhenius. That Arrhenius, from Goiás, friend, confrere, brother since Arcadas and São Paulo. But now, a diplomat from Rio. The conversation was very frank. [Ricupero] “Are you sitting? No? So sit down because the news is enough to bring anyone down! The president resigned, military ministers formed a government junta, there are rumors of groups arming themselves to resist” (p. 178).
Goodbye, meal. Run to Congress. Rubens Ricupero goes. Go running. It was his job. Journalists waiting. Curious too. Rubens Ricupero enters. Almino Presence. Almino Affonso. Colleague and acquaintance also from Arcadas do Largo São Francisco. Now Federal Deputy for the state of Amazonas. Almino Affonso takes the floor. Experienced, it says it's a blow. Blow on Jânio Quadros. Blow on the nation. Much was still unknown.
Rubens Ricupero always there. In Congress. Pay attention. See the Minister of Justice arrive. Watch it quickly pass by. See him like lightning. Destination: office of the president of Congress. Recipient: Senator Auro de Moura Andrade. Conversations flowed. Rubens Ricupero retracted everything from them. I learned that the Minister brought letters from Jânio Quadros. Surely the letters with his resignation. There were two. A short one. With – who knows – “I’m going to leave”. Another long one. With declension.
It was 15 pm. Brasilia time. Rich there. Without moving foot. Moura Andrade summons congressmen. He calls them to an extraordinary session. Schedule it for 16:30 pm. Afonso Arinos – chancellor, but also senator – takes part. He was in Rio, at the Itamaraty which remained there, by the sea. But he wants/needs to influence Brasília. He writes a message. He wants to make her reach her peers. The congressmen. He sends it by telex. Someone from Itamaraty in Brasília receives it. He orders them to be multiplied, enveloped and addressed to the respective Congress leaders. Meanwhile, Rubens Ricupero, in Congress, waits. But he already knows that it will be up to him to receive the envelopes, the respective recipients – read: congressmen – and deliver them.
Good and faithful servant, Rubens Ricupero goes, does it. But it is blocked. Banned. Prevented. Detained. O Esso Reporter, omnipresent, news. Tell the whole of Brazil. He says it's prison. He says he is Rubens Ricupero, a diplomat, in Brasília, in prison. Marisa, in São Paulo, listens. She understands and disagrees. She prefers not to understand. But she needs it. And, therefore, she experiences, on her part, tension, apprehension, distress. What to do?
Ricupero, in Brasília, is “relaxed”. The “detention” is over. But the Esso Reporter didn't warn. Then followed contrition. There was a lot of confusion. Marisa in São Paulo. Rubens Ricupero in Brasilia. Afonso Arinos in Rio. João Goulart, the vice president, on the other side of the world, in People's China. Here is the debut of Rubens Ricupero.
Yes: adventure. Almost things of the imagination. An unwary person would see this as a bit of a nosy reign. Things by Monteiro Lobato. They don't seem true. Or who knows, something like Hergé. Tintin. Adventures of Tintin. But not. It was all true. Ricupero, Marisa and Brazil.
Rubens Ricupero in Brasilia. Marisa in São Paulo. Wedding scheduled. Invitations distributed. Confirmed guests. Father Luigi – by charm, Luis; that of the Mariana Congregation, which saw the love of Marisa and Ricupero, in the first meeting and gaze, born – more than confirmed, summoned. The Nossa Senhora da Paz Church, in the Glicério floodplain, is perhaps ready. Vast in ornaments. Waiting for the beautiful bride and groom to arrive. All ready to celebrate them soon.
The date was set: September 1st and 2nd. The day before, August, final days. Rubens Ricupero in Brasilia. Marisa in São Paulo. A lot of apprehension. Strong pressure. In Rio, civil war was being considered. In other parts too. Even more was planned. Surround yourself with Brasilia. The return of the uniforms. Republic of the military. Dismissal of employees. Who knows, even Rubens Ricupero. Lots of doubt. Indecision. Ricupero in Brasilia. Marisa in São Paulo.
Get married now or not?
Ricupero hesitated.
Marisa decided: “now or never!” (p. 185).
End of hesitation: “now”.
3.
Scene 2: Washington. The year was 1992. The month was October. The day, the second.
October 2 from 1992.
It was raining cold in Washington. Rubens Ricupero and Marisa received Ruth Escobar and Shirley MacLaine at the embassy. Some relaxation enchanted the place. Ruth had been friends with Ricupero since their youth. Since 1957. Since the times when they neither knew nor wanted to know what they would become. Shirley MacLaine, everyone knew. In addition to being beautiful, she was a muse. Movie star. Literally. Awarded everywhere. Sacred monument of the seventh art. Now there. Accompanied by her friend Ruth. In front of Marisa and Ricupero.
Laughter, fun, trivia.
The day promised. Everyone would go – Rubens Ricupero and Marisa included – to watch Frank Sinatra’s show at dusk. Everything was going well.
Fun, trivia, laughter.
But, suddenly, the phone rings. It was for the ambassador. It was for Rubens Ricupero. Ricupero answers. The call came from Brazil. Maybe from São Paulo or Rio. Who knows, Brasília. It was the chancellor on the other side. It was Fernando Henrique Cardoso wanting to speak. Former senator who became chancellor of the Itamar presidency. He had a message from Itamar. An almost personal message, addressed to Ambassador Ricupero, transformed into a short and thick message: Itamar wants Rubens Ricupero in the Ministry of Finance.
Rubens Ricupero listened without speaking. And then he reacted without blinking or hesitating. He promptly refused. He indicated it was a mistake. And he gave his reasons. All that remains is for the chancellor to listen and leave. Marcílio Moreira Marques remained in office. He succeeded Zélia Cardoso de Mello. But now, I was going to leave it. But it wasn't a case of letting go. Itamar wanted Rubens Ricupero. And he made Fernando Henrique a messenger to subtly warn. Rubens Ricupero said no. Itamar was informed. And, of course, he didn't like it or accept it. President of the Republic himself returned the call to Washington. He wanted to speak directly to Rubens Ricupero. In his inner contrition he should martyr himself with the question of where has he seen himself?!
The phone rang in Washington. Rubens Ricupero answered. It was Itamar. Similar story. Ricupero listened. Again, he disagreed. He gave new reasons. He said he was far from Brazil. Being foreign to the area – economics and finance. Be distant from your operators. Not knowing businesspeople. And so on.
Itamar, a miner, out of temperament, remained silent. Rubens Ricupero too.
Farewell, certainly, very dry.
Have a good day, President. Have a good day, ambassador.
But an affliction in the air. Far, far from the subject closed. After a few moments, once again, the phone in Washington rang. Rubens Ricupero answered. On the other side, who could it be? Yes, of course: José Sarney. The man who succeeded Tancredo de Almeida Neves and for whom Rubens Ricupero always showed affection. But now, distress. Similar subject. Itamar's desire. Rubens Ricupero had no way. It has increased. He declined again and said goodbye. Who knows if the former president understood. It does not matter. Ricupero said no; and his was no.
But his phone started ringing and ringing again. Major figures in Brazilian national life wanted to speak to him. To convince. Who knows, maybe even intimidate. The powerful governor of his home state, São Paulo, Luiz Antônio Fleury asked Rubens Ricupero to accept the new post in his favor. The extraordinarily noble Gaucho senator Pedro Simon made efforts for the same. But not. Rubens Ricupero reiterated his no.
It was a special day. Phenomenal. It was October 2, 1992 and everyone in Washington wanted to see Frank Sinatra. Rubens Ricupero too. What was it about wanting him to take over the Ministry that had caused so much harm to his mentor and friend San Tiago Dantas when, in Brasília, everything in his life began? What was that thing? What was it about wanting to throw him into a pool without water, into a bonfire without fire, into a bottomless abyss, into a forest without a compass, into a Ministry – that of Finance – that even God – Brazilian or not – would hesitate to accept?
The afternoon fell. Everyone see Sinatra on 13th Street, in Warner Theater. Forget, for now, even as an ambassador, Brazil.
A good miner would say: have holy patience.
Nice show, after the show, dinner. Sinatra – MacLaine's close friend – invited Ruth and Marisa, who added Ricupero. The project was Chinese dinner. They all went. Sinatra driving. They arrive at the restaurant. Rubens Ricupero should be mentally humming some of his idol's hits, drumming some rhythm with his fingers or doing the percussion floor with his toes when Graham Bell's invention starts playing, once again. He was helpless. The atmosphere was cut. Had to answer. It was, again, from Brazil.
But he was neither the chancellor nor the president. It was journalist Elio Gaspari, who had called to say that economist Gustavo Krause had just accepted to be Minister of Finance. And – who knows – also to recommend that Rubens Ricupero sleep peacefully and relieved, as it hadn't happened that time. Rubens Ricupero, of course, heard that and sighed. But, of course, now, he wasn't going to sleep. The night was just beginning. Sinatra – yes, Frank Sinatra – was waiting inside for dinner.
*Daniel Afonso da Silva Professor of History at the Federal University of Grande Dourados. author of Far beyond Blue Eyes and other writings on contemporary international relations (APGIQ). [https://amzn.to/3ZJcVdk]
Reference
Rubens Ricupero. Memoirs. São Paulo, Editora da Unesp, 2024, 712 pages. [https://amzn.to/4cIgkyp]
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