Date of tip: August 2006 

Source: Guy Burton G.J.Burton@lse.ac.uk             

Location: Fundaçao Getulio Vargas, Praia de Botafogo 190 - 14th floor, Rio de Janeiro

How to get there: Buses from Zona Sul and Zona Norte stop on the road around Botafogo bay.  If you take the Metro to Botafogo, take the exit to the beach ('praia'), which is a block away.  Turn left and walk 15 minutes towards the north.  The Fundaçao is located at the top end of this road, after the Edificio Argentino.  It is a tall and prominent building and has a bookshop underneath.  The Fundaçao is reached by walking up the ramp next to the bookshop.  You will have to report to reception (which is at the entrance but is officially the second floor).  You will be asked for identification and given a visitor's pass.  CPDOC itself is located on the top, 14th floor. Turn right out of the lift and follow the corridor to the end where the Editoria FGV is located.  The CPDOC consulting room is beyond the reception desk, first on the right.

Language:Portuguese.

Getting started:You will need to register with the CPDOC system prior to carrying out any searches.  This can be done before or after arrival in the consulting room.  The staff will show you how this is done.  Alternately go through the link above and click on 'Cadastro' to fill out your details.  Once this is done you will be able to use the archive's search engine.  You will be provided with a 'Requisaçao' form to fill out the details of the requested documents.  The initial letters of an archive are associated with the individual or organisation that the documents belonged to.  The staff will also ask you to make a note of the microfilm roll code as well; this is identified as 'Rolo' and then a number.  The 'fotos' after each 'rolo' on the search engine are related to the particular pages you should check on that particular subject.

Opening Hours: 9am-4.30pm, Monday to Friday.  The staff will not be inclined to provide additional material after 4pm. 

General working conditions The room itself is slightly cramped, with a few desks, computers and several microfilm machines alongside three staff who appear to work there full time.  However, the number of other researchers is not many at any given time.  There is air conditioning that can make the room slightly cold.  If you request paper documents you will be provided with some rubber gloves to wear.

Consultation:Much of the material is being transferred to microfilm.  Generally the staff will provide you with three rolls at a time.  For paper documents this will depend upon their size and number of requests.

Policy on technology: unknown.

Photocopy policy: CPDOC charges R$1 (c. 25p as of August 2006) per photocopy of a microfilm page and R$1.50 per a paper document copy.

Particularities: The Fundaçao Getulio Vargas (FGV) is a social science university and research centre located in three cities in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia.  CPDOC is located in the Rio branch of FGV.  CPDOC contains around 18 million documents from more than 170 sources related to Brazil’s republican past (i.e. consisting of most of the 20th century).  The Centre’s work draws particular attention to the Vargas era (1930-55), the Juscelino Kubitschek years (1955-61) and the political trajectory of Joao Goulart from serving under Vargas to his interrupted presidency by the 1964 military coup.  These periods have been subject to the development of particular modules to make navigating around the subject more accessible.  In addition the archives include a range of material relating from the military period (1964-85) to the present day.  The military regime the Ernesto Geisel presidency (1974-79) is well documented, with various reports and dispatches from his ministers.

Beyond the archives themselves, there is a cheap canteen where set meals or buffet (paid by the kilo) may be eaten on the second floor.  To get there, go outside the main reception area and walk to the back of the Fundaçao.  There are also several other eateries in the vicinity, although none are as cheap.  This includes another, small self service buffet restaurant in the base of the Edifico Argentino nearby, along with Domino’s pizza.

How to apply for classified files: (see below)

Contact name in case of questions regarding classified files: Daniele Chaves Amado dany@fgv.br

Places to Stay: Accommodation in the city centre may be cheaper, but it is arguably not advisable, given its emptiness at night and on weekends. There is cheap accommodation to be had in the area around Catete metro station, which is more populated during the weekend.  However, for many first-time visitors to Rio it is worth trying to seek accommodation further to the south, in Zona Sul, which includes more residential accommodation in Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon.  There is a youth hostel in Copacabana, although it is worth being cautious there after.  Ipanema and Leblon are more expensive places to stay, but are relatively secure middle class and upper middle-class neighbourhoods.

Etc. Botafogo is a middle-class neighbourhood in the south of Rio: Zona Sul.  The Fundaçao is well located for bus and Metro transport both to the areas in the south, including Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, along with the commercial centre to the north, in Centro.  There is a beach in Botafogo but few people swim in its bay, owing to the pollution.  There are several bars nearby the Fundaçao which are popular with workers at the end of the day, along with juice bars.  Back towards the Metro station there is a shopping centre which also has a multiplex cinema on the top floor.