Page 27 - Suape 45 Anos

“Suape had a beginning and a middle.

But it will never have an end” Anchieta Hélcias Journalist and entrepreneur

In the 1960s, Suape was still no more than a dream, though opi- newspaper in his back pocket. The journalist was only 25 years old
nions on the matter were already divided. Heated discussions en- when Eraldo Gueiros confided in him the historic announcement: “I
sued. Unanimity was far from being achieved. Even so, the propo- will make Suape happen.”
sal gained the support of a “task-force” of individuals enthusiastic The two-page exclusive report was planned for the Sunday edi-
about the idea of an industrial port complex. tion of Jornal de Commercio but ended up not being so exclusive.
Journalist and business-owner Anchieta Hélcias was one of As soon as Eraldo Gueiros got off the plane in Recife, he was quizzed
the small group trying to get the project off the ground. In his Nor- by other journalists about what he was going to do differently to
theast Day to Day column in Recife’s Jornal do Commercio news- help boost development in Pernambuco. He ended up telling them
paper he vigorously defended the idea of building a new port in and depriving Hélcias of his “scoop”. He announced that he would
the Northeast. At the end of 1970, he was sent to Rio de Janeiro by build Suape. This news naturally made it onto the front pages of all
the newspaper as a special envoy to conduct an exclusive interview the local newspapers the next day. The young journalist’s “scoop”
with Eraldo Gueiros, who was due to take over as Governor of Per- hadn’t lasted long. But the Governor would remain good to his word.
nambuco the following year, following indirect elections. Anchieta Hélcias is not the kind of person who dwells on the
Since the coup of 1964, the country had been living under a past, but he provided a long memoir on the Suape Industrial Port
military dictatorship, and no direct elections were allowed for the Complex saga for Suape, much more than a port, a book-length pu-
most important government positions. In the middle of the inter- blication written by the journalist Carlos Garcia and the economist
view, the tables were turned and Hélcias was the one answering the Josué Mussalém, both of whom have now, sadly, passed away. In
questions. Eraldo Gueiros asked, “What is Suape?” this 2011 publication, Hélcias tells the story of his first interview with
Equipped with information provided by Admiral Paulo Moreira Gueiros and other landmark events. He has once again agreed to
da Silva, a Navy scientist who had studied the Brazilian coast, the relive those times to help us write Suape 45 Years.
journalist provided a detailed account of the advantages of this site Hélcias played a key role in the consolidation of Suape, as did
and the feasibility of a project that would mark a turning point in Ayrton Cardoso – who was a young businessman at the time. Toge-
the development of the State of Pernambuco and the whole Nor- ther with the chemical engineer Romeu Boto, he got the idea of an
theast region. industrial port from Antwerp. The group of supporters also included
In a subsequent meeting, the Admiral himself provided Guei- Júlio Araújo, Ivan Romagueira and Admiral Paulo Moreira da Silva.
ros with the technical details. Anchieta Hélcias returned home as a The Admiral’s report, called A New Port for the Northeast, played a
guest of honor on the Governor’s plane, with a major “scoop” for his decisive role in getting the project off the ground. The study, com-

Suape 45 anos | 27