Maria Teresa Fontela Goulart
| Maria Teresa Fontela Goulart | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| First Lady of Brazil | |
|
In office September 8, 1961 – April 1, 1964 |
|
| President | João Goulart |
| Preceded by | Sílvia Pitaguari Serra |
| Succeeded by | Sílvia Pitaguari Serra |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Maria Teresa Fontela August 23, 1940 São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Political party | Brazilian Labour Party |
| Spouse(s) |
João Goulart (1956–1976; his death) |
| Children | João Vicente Denize Goulart |
Maria Teresa Fontela Goulart (born August 23, 1940) was the wife of the 24th president of Brazil, João Goulart, and served as First Lady during his presidency from 1961 until 1964, when he was deposed by a military-led coup d'état.
Maria Teresa was born on August 23, 1940 in São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul. She was educated at the Colégio Metodista Americano (American Methodist High School), a traditional boarding school in Porto Alegre. Her parents lived next door to Jango (João Goulart) in São Borja. According to her, despite the fact that they were neighbors, she only met him personally at the age of 14, when Dinarte Dornelles, uncle of then President Getúlio Vargas, asked her to deliver a letter to Jango, who was the Minister of Labour and Employment at the time. Maria Teresa tried not to fall in love with Jango, because she thought someone as important as he would not be interested in her.
Maria Teresa encountered Jango once again at her debutante ball, which took place in the house of her aunt, América Fontela, the wife of Vargas' brother Spartacus Dornelles, in Rio de Janeiro. One of América's daughters and, thus, Maria Teresa's cousin is Yara Vargas, who later helped Leonel Brizola establish the Democratic Labour Party and was elected to Rio Grande do Sul's House of Representatives.
In 1955, when Maria Teresa finished her studies, she and Jango started dating. They got married in the following year when Maria Teresa was 16 and Jango was running for the Vice Presidency. At that time, there were separate elections for President and Vice President in Brazil and Jango would receive more votes than Juscelino Kubitschek, who was elected President. After her marriage, Maria Teresa became sister-in-law of Leonel Brizola, who was married to Jango's sister Neusa.
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