Cândido Rondon

Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, or Marechal Rondon (5 May 1865 – 19 January 1958) was a Brazilian military officer who is most famous for his exploration of Mato Grosso and the Western Amazon Basin, and his lifelong support of Brazilian indigenous populations. He was the first director of Brazil's Indian Protection Bureau (SPI/FUNAI) and supported the creation of the Xingu National Park. The Brazilian state of Rondônia is named after him. He was made Marshal, the highest military rank in Brazil.

He was born on 5 May 1865 in Mimoso, a small village in Mato Grosso state. His father, Cândido Mariano da Silva, was of Portuguese ancestry, and his mother was a Native American from the Terena and Bororo. His father died of smallpox before Cândido was born, and his mother died when he was two years old. He was raised by his grandparents until they too died while he was still a boy. After this, he lived with his mother's brother, who adopted Cândido and gave him his family name, Rondon. His uncle raised him until he reached sixteen. After finishing high school at the age of 16, he taught elementary school for two years, and then joined the Brazilian army. On joining the military, he entered officer's school and graduated in 1888 as a second lieutenant. He was also involved with the Republican coup that overthrew Pedro II, the last Emperor of Brazil.

In 1890, he was commissioned as an army engineer with the Telegraphic commission, and helped build the first telegraph line across the state of Mato Grosso. This telegraph line was finally finished in 1895, and afterwards, Rondon started construction on a road that led from Rio de Janeiro (then capital of the republic) to Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso. Until this roadway was complete, the only way between these two cities was by river transport. Also during this time, he married his wife, Chiquinha Xavier, and together they had 7 children. From 1900 to 1906, Rondon was in charge of laying telegraph line from Brazil to Bolivia and Peru. During this time he opened up new territory, and was in contact with the warlike Bororo of western Brazil. He was so successful in pacifying the Bororo, that he completed the telegraph line with their help. Throughout his life, Rondon laid over 4,000 miles of telegraph line through the jungles of Brazil.

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