Rui Barbosa

Diplomat, Politician

1849 – 1923

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Who was Rui Barbosa?

Rui Barbosa de Oliveira was a Brazilian writer, jurist, and politician.

Born in Salvador da Bahia, he was a federal representative, senator, Minister of Finance and diplomat. For his distinguished participation in the 2nd Hague Conference, he earned the nickname "Eagle of the Hague". He ran unsuccessfully for the Presidency of Brazil in 1910 and again in 1919.

Rui Barbosa gave his first public speech for the abolition of slavery when he was 19. For the rest of his life he remained an uncompromising defender of civil liberties. Slavery in Brazil was finally abolished by the Lei Áurea in 1888. Part of Barbosa's legacy to history is that he authorised, as minister of finance on December 14, 1890, the destruction of most government records relating to slavery. The avowed reason for this destruction, which took several years to be enacted and was followed by his successors, was to erase the "stain" of slavery on Brazilian history. However, historians today agree, that Barbosa aimed to impede any possible indemnization of the former slave-owners for this liberation. Indeed, eleven days after the abolition of slavery, a law project was deposed at the Chamber, proposing some indemnization to the slave owners.

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Born
Nov 5, 1849
Salvador
Nationality
  • Brazil
Profession
Lived in
  • Bahia
  • Botafogo
Died
Mar 1, 1923
Petrópolis

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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