Amazonino Mendes leaves a historical legacy in Amazonian politics

Marcela Leiros – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The former governor of the Amazonas Amazonino Mendes, 83, died this Sunday morning, 12, after being hospitalized in the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in São Paulo. The politician was battling pneumonia. Mendes was a notorious and influential politician in the state, where he served four terms as head of the State, three times mayor of Manaus and once elected senator. Amazonino leaves a historical legacy in Amazonian politics.

The confirmation of Amazonino’s death was made through a note published by the family. The brief text highlights that Mendes had “a victorious life, dedicated with much love to his family and the people of Amazonas and an incomparable legacy as a man and politician. He fought bravely like few others, but now rests in peace.”

Health complications

In November 2022, Amazonino was hospitalized due to a diverticulitis crisis accompanied by problems related to pneumonia. At the time, he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and, after an improvement, he was transferred to a room and was discharged on December 6.

In the same month, Mendes presented, again, respiratory problems and, on December 25, he was again hospitalized in São Paulo, at the Sírio Libanês Hospital, where the pneumonia condition worsened recently. The former governor was also fighting diabetes.

Also read: Amazonino Mendes leaves the election, but remains in the history of Amazonian politics

In last year’s elections, Amazonino got a difference of only 41,130 votes to senator Eduardo Braga (MDB), who went to the second round with current governor Wilson Lima (União Brasil). The good performance in the campaign occurred without Amazonino practically leaving home due to his health condition.

History

The Amazonian born in Eirunepé (1,159 km from Manaus) has been considered an iconic figure in the region for four decades and was responsible for the political rise of names such as Eduardo Braga himself, who, in 1994, became mayor of the Amazon capital with Amazonino’s help.

Amazonino’s political life began to take shape in April 1983, when he was appointed mayor of Manaus by then governor Gilberto Mestrinho (PMDB). Mendes stayed in office until 1986. In 1987, he took over the State Government.

Soon after his first term as governor of Amazonas, Mendes was elected senator of the Republic, where he remained from 1991 to 1992, and served as a full member of the Constitution, Justice, Citizenship and Education Commissions and as a substitute in the Social Affairs Commission.

Mendes left the Senate to run for mayor in 1992 as a candidate for the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), winning the election and taking over the position occupied by the then mayor Arthur Virgílio Neto. In 1994, he left the management of Manaus with the vice-mayor Eduardo Braga and ran for governor, being elected in the first round and reelected in 1998.

FHC

Amazonino was an early ally of the then presidential candidate Fernando Henrique Cardoso (FHC) – PSDB. FHC had just finished his term as economy minister in the Itamar Franco administration. The success of the “Real Plan” made Fernando Henrique Cardoso the favorite in the presidential race. His opponent at the time was Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the PT, who was trying for his first presidential election in 1989, but was defeated by Fernando Collor de Mello.

Mendes perceived the political moment favorable to FHC and positioned himself, politically, on the toucan’s side. In the state of Amazonas, he set up a platform and articulated with mayors, deputies and councilmen for the social democrat candidate to be successful in the largest state of the federation. His political influence was decisive to guarantee FHC a smooth election in the North of the country. With FHC’s election guaranteed, Amazonino Mendes gained interlocution in Brasilia and assured his political power in Amazonas.

From 2009 to 2012, he was again mayor of Manaus. He returned to the position of governor of Amazonas, in 2017, in a buffer term, after the then governor José Melo (PROS) was impeached for vote buying. Amazonino Mendes became the first politician in the state to serve four times as the head of the State Executive.

Family

Son of Armando de Sousa Mendes and Francisca Gomes Mendes, Amazonino Armando Mendes was born in the city of Eirunepé, in the state of Amazonas, on November 16, 1939. He graduated from the Law School of the University of Amazonas, now the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam).

Father of three children, he had in his resume a militancy in the student movement, having held positions in the boards of the Student Union of Amazonas (UEA), in the Student Union of Amazonas (UESA), and in the National Student Union (UNE).

He was also a businessman in civil construction and head of the Road Transport Service of the DER. Shortly before entering politics, he worked in the Superior Courts in Brasília defending the mandates of parliamentarians from the state of Amazonas who were impugned by the local Regional Electoral Court (TRE).