President says Brazil lost one of its greatest journalists; the professional died this Saturday (May 2), aged 85, in Rio de Janeiro
The president (PT) mourned the death of the journalist, aged 85, this Saturday (May 2, 2026), in Rio de Janeiro. In a publication in his , the head of the Executive stated that, with the loss of the professional, the country says goodbye to one of its greatest journalists.
The journalist’s body will be cremated this Saturday (May 2). “Even though he was persecuted and imprisoned by the military dictatorship, he never stopped fighting for democracy and freedom of the press. And, what is most important: he never shut up”, declared Lula.
Here is the full statement:
Legacy of Raimundo Rodrigues Pereira
Born in Exu, in Pernambuco, Raimundo was one of the most relevant figures in the Brazilian press, with a prominent role in democratic resistance.
The president highlighted the importance of the journalist in forming the call “alternative press” in the 1970s. He recalled that Pereira was editor-in-chief of the weekly Opinion and, in 1975, created the newspaper Movement. He highlighted the periodical’s role in chronicling the abuses of the military regime and defending democratic freedoms: “[Foi] the first to show, at a national level, what the union and freedom struggle that we undertook at ABC in the late 70s meant”.
In the message, the president sent a hug to his family, friends and co-workers who were inspired by the journalist’s trajectory.
Raimundo Rodrigues Pereira built a career marked by critical and independent journalism. He worked in vehicles such as the magazine Reality and the newspaper The State of S. Paulo.
Subsequently, the professional created the project Portrait of Brazilfocused on interpreting national reality through structural reporting.
