Brazilian Uprisings: Vaccine Revolt & Chibata Revolt
Vaccine Revolt – 1906
Time
1906
Location
Rio de Janeiro
Leaders
This riot was a popular movement in which ordinary people came together and revolted. There were no specific, relevant leaders.
Characteristics
- It was during the government of Rodrigo Alves (former President Campos Sales’ government was well balanced).
- It was the first urban riot.
- Rodrigo Alves had as his main design the redevelopment of Rio de Janeiro. He wanted to make Rio a modern city like Paris. Rio was the business card of Brazil and was the capital.
- The center of Rio had several tenements where poor people lived. Rodrigo wanted to get rid of these tenements in the center and move their residents out of town, to the periphery, to the hills. This is where the slums are.
- Residents of the slums did not want to leave their homes. Rodrigo Alves created the “Put Down” project, which drove people from their homes and destroyed them.
- Rodrigo Alves created two projects: “Put Down” and “Sanitation”.
- The Sanitation project was to control and eradicate diseases such as bubonic plague, yellow fever, and smallpox.
- To carry out this project of Sanitation, he created the Ministry of Health, and the Minister was Oswaldo Cruz.
- Oswaldo Cruz launched the project to eradicate the plague and yellow fever. This led to the “Health Soldiers” and launched health projects, such as the destruction of property as well, to stop the fleas that proliferated the plague and still end up with the mosquito that transmits yellow fever. It was a violent action.
- To end smallpox, a vaccine was imported from France, but there were few syringes. Syringes were imported only for the rich, for the elite. The poor and the general population revolted against the method of smallpox vaccination, in which the vaccine was inserted into a cut in the groin.
- Vaccination against smallpox was the pretext of the revolt, which lasted three days.
Results
- The Vaccine Revolt lasted three days.
- The population revolted against the redevelopment of Rio de Janeiro and the lack of respect and violence in the implementation of the Sanitation project.
- The population revolted against Rodrigo Alves’ projects: “Put Down” and “Sanitation”.
Revolt of the Lash (Revolta da Chibata) – 1910
Time
1910
Location
Rio de Janeiro
Leader
The leader was Joao Candido, also known as the Black Admiral.
Characteristics
- The government was that of Hermes da Fonseca.
- The Navy was the oldest and most conservative institution. It applied physical punishment against the sailors.
- The sailors revolted against corporal punishment.
- The sailors, under the leadership of the Black Admiral, took control of the ship Minas Gerais and pointed the ship’s guns at Rio de Janeiro.
- Their demands were:
- An end to corporal punishment
- Wage increases
- Better nutrition
- Amnesty for the mutiny
Results
The sailors surrendered, thinking that their demands would be met, but they were arrested and taken to the Amazon River as prisoners. They suffered exile there and were expelled from Brazil.