Entre as peixeiras, os “doutores” e as armas: a atuação política do comunista chico B em Campina Grande – Paraíba (1961-1964).

Abstract

This research investigates the political activity of Francisco Almeida Batista, better known popularly as Chico B, between the years 1961 and 1964, in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Chico B’s political trajectory is understood here as a consequence of the socio-economic conditions of the municipality during this period. Methodologically, this work is based on historical and dialectical materialism, the "History from Below" approach proposed by the English historian E. P. Thompson (2012), and Walter Benjamin’s (1985) concept of history "against the grain." Additionally, the methodology of Oral History will be employed, grounded in the Oral History Manual by historian Verena Alberti (2005), and The Voice of the Past by Paul Thompson (1998). This is also a documentary research project, drawing on materials from the National Archives Information System (SIAN) and newspapers from the period, such as Diário da Borborema (1961), O Planalto (1963), O Rebate (1961), and the magazine Tudo (1988). This study aims to contribute to the field of political history by highlighting the actions of the communist barber Chico B through his candidacies in the elections for state deputy of Paraíba in 1962 and city councilor of Campina Grande in 1963, as well as his political activity during the first year of the military dictatorship in 1964.