Geraldo Forbes, Financier and Anti Dictatorship Activist, Dies at 83

Geraldo Forbes, a prominent financier and writer, died on Wednesday in São Paulo at the age of 83. He is remembered for his significant role in the redemocratization of Brazil, specifically for writing a 1983 Veja magazine article that demanded the resignation of President João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo, the final leader of the military regime. This text was widely distributed by the opposition and earned Forbes a letter of gratitude from Tancredo Neves, the first president elected after the dictatorship.

Born in Santos on December 1, 1942, Forbes graduated from the University of São Paulo Law School in 1965. Although he did not practice law, he built a career in finance. He presided over Finacorp Ltda from 1972 to 1999 and later led the Brazilian branches of UBS and Standard Bank. His academic and political contributions included serving on the Deliberative Council of the IEA USP and coordinating a constitutional revision program in the early 1990s.

Beyond his professional life, Forbes was a renowned expert in gastronomy and wines. He published over one thousand articles and served as a columnist for O Estado de S. Paulo between 1983 and 1990. He was known for his incisive and implacable criticism of the culinary world, which his daughter, Alexandra Forbes, noted was driven by a hatred of lies and fraud.

Forbes was married to Louise Donohue in 1972 and later to Lígia. He is survived by his wife, three children, and several grandchildren. Friends and family described him as a cultured, wise, and elegant man with a unique sense of humor.