One of the most unfortunate episodes of the president’s Calvary – complete the complete death – the farce surrounding the health problems that victimized him began to be unmasked thanks to a journalistic hole of Sheet.
First civil president elected after 21 years of the military dictatorship (1964-1985) –indrectly, by an electoral college-Tancredo was hospitalized on March 14, 1985, the eve of his possession. assumed as interim.
First it was announced that Tancredo had to undergo appendicitis surgery. Then the medical team reported that it was a case of diverticulitis, and was thus published throughout the press.
Until, in, the Sheet He reported that he had actually been halted from the gut of Tancredo a leiomyoma – a benign tumor. Still, doctors and authorities announced the false version for fear that the word “tumor” would alarm the population in the delicate political moment of the transition to democracy.
The exclusive information was obtained by the publisher-and owner-of the newspaper, (1912-2007), and also realized that Tancredo would need a new surgery and that his health was serious, which changed the course of coverage.
“There was a battalion of reporters from Sheet covering [a internação de Tancredo]in São Paulo and Brasilia. And it was very difficult to get information, “he recalls, who was part of this large team.
“We did not know how the newspaper gave it. Want to ask another: ‘Did you send this story?’. Why not all were signed. ‘It wasn’t me, I don’t…’ but hey, so who was it? Then we know, it had been his cold,” the reporter narrates, at the time already one of the most tempted in the Brazilian press.
The publisher used to say he was not a journalist, which Kotscho disputes. “He said, ‘Whoever understands the newspaper are you. I’m a businessman, my business is to make money.’ But it wasn’t true. He was a journalist and was very fond of giving holes, having information in front of others, exclusive information and such. He encouraged it on the team.”
As with many of the cold holes, Tancredo’s came from “off” sources, ie unidentified. There are some versions of whom the publisher would have obtained the exclusive information. Kotscho says he heard that the source was, that he had been editorialist for Sheet and had a good relationship with cold.
Na, written by journalist Engel Paschoal, Kotscho said he heard that the publisher source had been Sarney. But the biographer writes that “he was actually an Incor (Instituto da Coração, Hospital das Clínicas, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo)”.
According to journalist Plínio Fraga, author of the biography “, two colleagues close to the direction of Sheet They told him that the source of frias had been Senator and Governor Antonio Carlos Magalhães (1927-2007).
Fraga ponders, however, that there may have been another source. “I questioned (1957-2018), then director of writing from Sheetin this regard. He neither denied nor confirmed, on the grounds that he should maintain respect for off. But suggested that the information was crossed with more than one source. “
In his book, Fraga writes that, despite the veracity of the published information, the farce was maintained. “The medical team that took care of Tancredo persisted in the error, formally contesting that a tumor had been removed. ‘This information is absolutely false’ [o cirurgião] Henrique Walter Pinotti. “
An investigation by journalist Luis Mir, published in the book “The Patient – The Tancredo Neves case”, later adapted to the cinema, listed one in the conduct of the case.
In addition to the use of a technique considered inappropriate to operate Leiomyoma, which would eventually cause bleeding that aggravated the politician’s picture, the abrupt removal of mechanical ventilation was considered another misconception, as it soaked the lung and led to an acute edema and a cardiorespiratory arrest.
Kotscho would eventually be sent by the newspaper A São João del Rei, tancredo hometown, for the coverage of the funeral.
In addition to the hole on the health of the Minas Gerais politician, Kotscho dealt directly with other exclusive information raised by cold. As the appointment of the Sarney Government Finance Minister in 1987.
The journalist says that the publisher called at 6am to his house giving the news firsthand and asking him to stick to the economist and try to confirm the information. But not even the chosen one knew yet. “Bresser was in [hospital] Syrian-Lebanese visiting a relative, I found him there. He was startled because he had not been invited yet, “Kotscho recalls.
“And then we got a hit: he was going to USP to participate in an examining board, I managed to go to the car with him interviewing, and agreed that I would only publish if he was really named. [Bresser como ministro]I already had the story. It was a partnership with your cold. I got along very well with him. He is sorely missed, see? “
Collaborated Naief Haddad
