Afonso Cláudio de Freitas Rosa

Afonso Cláudio de Freitas Rosa (August 2, 1859 in Santa Leopoldina ES – June 16, 1934 in Rio de Janeiro RJ) or, simply, Afonso Cláudio, as he was better known by the people, was, for a brief time, the first president (governor, actually) of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. He was inaugurated as governor on November 22, 1889 and remained on the function til January 7, 1890.

He was born to landowner parents in the rural zone of central Espirito Santo. He studied at a university in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil, where he graduated in Laws in 1883. Back to Espirito Santo, he radicated at its capital, Vitória, where he worked as a public law enforcer.

At some point of his younger years, he joined the movement for the abolition of the slavery in Brazil, and became a Republican conspirator also. Afonso Claudio was also a supporter of the European immigration to Espirito Santo.

Following the Republican coup d'état that put an end to the Empire of Brazil, Afonso Cláudio was appointed president of Espirito Santo by the new-installed government. He occupied the office for a brief time though, being appointed later for the state's Court of Justice, which he presided as well.

Afonso Cláudio was also a teacher (Professor of Law at the Law School of Niterói, Fluminense Federal University), a poet and writer, being his most important books History of Espirito-Santensis Literature, Rhimes and Songs of Espirito Santo and The Insurrection of Queimado, an essay on the slave rebellion that took place on Espirito Santo in 1849.

References

• Site of the State's Secretary for Treasure of Espirito Santo, Page for Espírito Santo's Literature and Poetry (in Portuguese)
• Espirito-Santensis Station, Researches (in Portuguese)