Supporters, friends and family pay their respects to former governor Amazonino Mendes

Priscilla Peixoto and Gabriel Abreu – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – Family, friends, politicians and admirers of Amazonino Mendes pay their last respects to the political leader who died last Sunday, 12, in São Paulo. The body of the former governor arrived in Manaus around 11am on Thursday, 16, and was taken in a hearse to the Teatro Amazonas, where he will be mourned in a ceremony open to the public until Saturday, 18.

The public visitation began at 5pm, in order of arrival, and will continue until 5am on Saturday, on a 24h regime. There is no need for a password. For fisherman José Pedrosa, 80, the moment of farewell brings back fond memories, especially of their school days, when they studied together.

“He was a great student of Álvaro Maia. A good colleague and very good friend of my mother. I remember that he used to say that he took care of our Amazonas so that ‘paratroopers’ wouldn’t come here. He became a great governor. No other has done what he did in this state. We have a lot to thank him for”, remembers Pedrosa.

The diarist Antônia Sueli, 62 years old, also left a word of affection for the former governor. The Amazonian says she is proud to have lived through the administration of the Amazonian. For Antônia, the memories related to Amazonino bring back a feeling of gratitude.

“He was a person who helped many people here in Amazonas. He deserves all the recognition. The memories I have about his policies are good, especially when we talk about housing and asphalt. He paved our Aleixo district, where we used to walk in the mud. Amazonino will live in our memory,” says Antônia.

‘He was loved’

Moved, the former governor’s daughter, Lívia Mendes, spoke to the press about the last moments with her father and commented on him becoming one of the most beloved names among the Amazonians “(…) I arrived at the airport on Sunday and went straight to the hospital. I was still able to talk to him and he still looked at me, and the last sentence I said to him was: ‘you are very loved, thank you very much for everything’, and he went quietly and left nothing undone. This is an extraordinary thing that most people can’t get to, sometimes at a younger age than he is, leave and say that he has accomplished himself. And he did, and he gave it his all. A gift from God in our lives,” says Lívia.

She also talks about her father’s importance to the political scenario in Amazonas. “I believe that a person who is born with the name of the state and, from a young age, wants to be the person he was is an example for people who, many times, give up on things. If we look at what he achieved and built, we know that it was not from nothing, he studied hard with a lamp, self-denial, love for others (…). He wasn’t a perfect person, but within his imperfections there was a great quality, the generosity and wisdom he had to solve the community’s problems, to the most complex things,” comments the ex-governor’s daughter.

Political exponent

In line to say goodbye to the former governor, the president of the Camelôs Union, José Assis, emphasized Amazonino’s political vision. “He was a friend of friends. He was the greatest political exponent this state ever had. He was an intelligent and sagacious man, capable of ‘pulling out’ a UEA. He did a great job and has to be revered,” says José.

The former governor José Melo also went to the Teatro Amazonas to pay homage to the political leader. Melo recalled the moments with Amazonino during the last elections. “He knew it would be a dispute with enormous difficulties and, like every political warrior, he couldn’t run away from the last battle, and I was there by his side. Unfortunately, we didn’t succeed, but we did what we like the most, which is the daily contact with the people. This was Amazonino, he never ran away from the challenge“, highlights Melo.

For Elisabeth Ribeiro, Amazonino will be remembered for being an “eternal passionate for the state”. “Amazonas loses a lot, for all the stories, for being a great politician, and I also say that he was so passionate about his state that, for sure, he will look after all of us (…) Even though we know that the only certain thing we have in life is death, nobody is prepared to lose someone they love. I sympathize with the family and reinforce that Amazonino left a legacy, he was a great man”, comments Elizabeth.

Amazonino’s body arrived at the Teatro Amazonas around 1pm. Upon arrival at the theater, the body was received by Amazonino Mendes’ niece, Monica Mendes. The first tributes, at the place, started at 2pm and were reserved for family members and authorities.

Amazonino Mendes was 83 years old and died last Sunday, 12, after being hospitalized for a month at 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 executive, three times mayor of Manaus and once elected senator. Amazonino leaves a historical legacy in Amazonian politics.