Do legalismo à arbitrariedade: Henoch Reis, a Operação Ajuricaba e o controle da oposição no interior do Amazonas

Abstract

The article analyzes the political strategies employed during the government of Henoch da Silva Reis (1974-1979) in Amazonas, amidst Brazil's political opening period, focusing on the so-called "Operation Ajuricaba." Appointed against the wishes of local elites by President Ernesto Geisel, the governor initially faced resistance from the dominant political groups in the capital. In a scenario where the MDB was gaining legislative power at the state level, the operation sought to neutralize the opposition through the strategic use of public machinery and resources within the state of exception, playing a crucial role in ensuring ARENA's electoral victories in the 1976 and 1978 municipal elections, while also influencing national electoral legislation until 1984. The study highlights how political control in the interior of Amazonas was structured to ensure the maintenance of an elite in power, exploiting local arrangements and opposition crises.