1989: The election I lived closely, by John Elvis Ribas Ramalho

In 1989, after a long period without directly choosing the president of the Republic, the Brazilian people returned to the polls to decide who would lead the country. And it wasn't just any election! It was historical, busy and full of characters that marked Brazilian politics.

As far as I can remember, there were 21 candidates or even more. After all, even the presenter Silvio Santos went into this story for a brief period, although his candidacy did not reach the polls.

Among the main names were Ulysses Guimarães, Mário Covas, Paulo Maluf, Leonel Brizola, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Roberto Freire, Guilherme Afif Domingos and Fernando Collor de Mello.

But today I do not want to talk only about national history. I want to bring this memory to our Ponta Grossa and tell a story that I lived up close when I was only 12 years old.

My father, Altair Ramalho, worked at Radio Diffuser, and the station put together a team to do full coverage of the election. It was almost a radio marathon! An operation that crossed the day and night, with professionals accompanying the counting and bringing the information to the listeners.

And, as amazing as it sounds, I was there too!

Still a boy, he helped me at work. I remember that the ballots arrived, with the results of the polls, and my function was to help add the votes and pass the numbers to the speakers.

In the beginning, the count involved all the candidates. With the advance of the counting and the volume of information, however, it became impossible to follow each of them, and the work began to focus on the main names of the dispute.

They were the votes of Ponta Grossa, the numbers of our city, closely monitored by those who made radio at that time.

But here comes a curiosity that I keep in my memory until today!

While Fernando Collor ended up winning the national election, in Ponta Grossa the most voted candidate was Guilherme Afif Domingos, who competed with the slogan “Together we will get there. Faith in Brazil!”

Afif finished the national dispute in sixth place, according to the official classification of the first round. In our city, however, it had a performance that was marked in my memory.

I can’t say if he won in other cities too, but I remember that some time later he returned to Ponta Grossa to thank for the vote received.

On the occasion, a lunch was offered to the press and guests in the old and now extinct Papai Cogo Barbecue. The meeting brought together several local authorities of the time.

And there was one detail that caught my attention: Afif was presented with one of the symbols that represented the city at that time, the Original beer.

Imagine the dinner!

On the one hand, a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, who had won an expressive vote in our city. On the other, authorities, journalists and communication professionals gathered to receive him.

And I was there, in the middle of it all.

It was not authority, it was not part of the press, nor was it of any political importance. It was just a 12-year-old boy, watching everything with the curious eyes of those who were still discovering the world.

But I saw that scene with my own eyes.

And today, 37 years later, I have the opportunity to share this memory with you.

Radio was different, politics was different, and Brazil was also different. But the excitement of following a historic election remains alive in my memory.

And when I think about that night of reckoning, I also remember my father, and everything I learned from observing his work and living with the world of communication.

The years have passed and tomorrow, once again, we will have the opportunity to participate in democracy through voting.

Let each one make his choice with conscience, responsibility and respect.

After all, democracy is also made up of the stories we live and the choices we make.

JOHN ELVIS RIBAS RAMALHO

Communicator, radio broadcaster, bachelor and columnist

 

Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio: increase the sound, because this guy was giant! by John Elvis