In 1969, in the midst of the dictatorship, King Pelé wrote to President Médici.
Letter from Pelé to President Emílio Garrastazu Médici, with the envelope (it says: "request from Pelé", probably from an assistant of Medici).
One page + Envelope.
In Portuguese.
16 cm x 22.3 cm (letter).
November 23, 1969, Santos.
Excellent condition of conservation.
Unique piece.
Brazil experienced a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, a period marked by political repression, human rights violations and significant censorship.
During this dark period, Pelé, considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, was at the height of his glory. In 1969, Brazil won its third World Cup. Pelé, the team's star player and top scorer in the final, saw the victory celebrated as a national triumph, in a way strengthening the legitimacy of the military regime that needed a global conquest to consolidate the image of a successful country.
In this context, this letter addresses Pelé’s controversial relationship with the military dictatorship in Brazil. His stance has generated debates and divergent interpretations about his role during that turbulent period in Brazilian history. Some see him as an accomplice of the regime, while others see him as a careful apolitical man who simply tried to focus on football.
As always, the truth is probably halfway there. But it is worth remembering that when he left the Brazilian national team in 1971, Pelé confronted several politicians from the country's military regime, as well as powerful sports leaders such as João Havelange, and had to deal with racism from public opinion that persists to this day, even after his death.
Letters from Pelé are extremely rare, this one is exceptional because of the addressee and the political and sporting context. Also interesting are Pelé's atypical signature, the envelope and the small text on it that could have been... "request from the King to the President".
