Afonso Pena

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Afonso Pena bigraphy, stories - President of Brazil

Afonso Pena : biography

30 November 1847 – 14 June 1909

Afonso Augusto Moreira Pena ( 30 November 1847 – 14 June 1909) was a Brazilian politician. He served as President of Brazil between 1906 and 1909. Before his political career, Pena was a lawyer, jurist and member of the Brazilian Supreme Court.

He began his political career in 1874 with an election to the Imperial General Assembly. In the succeeding years, Pena reconciled legislative work with some periods occupying secretariats — secretary of Agriculture (1882), Commerce and Public Issues (1883) and Justice (1885). Pena then presided over the provincial assembly of Minas Gerais.

After the proclamation of the Republic, he was governor of Minas Gerais between 1892 and 1894. It was during his administration that Belo Horizonte was set for the future state capital (which at that time was Ouro Preto).

Afonso Pena was the first Brazilian president to advocate intervening in the coffee economy. The federal government started to buy production surplus, thus maintaining the high price of coffee in international markets. Pena also promoted the expansion of railroads.

The reorganization of the Brazilian army was done by Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca during the Pena administration. The president also supported Cândido Rondon’s expeditions in the Amazon Rainforest.