Integralista

Integralista refers to a member or supporter of the Brazilian political movement known as Ação Integralista Brasileira (AIB), founded in 1932 by Plínio Salgado. The movement promoted integralismo, a nationalist, Catholic-influenced, and corporatist political program that sought to reorganize Brazilian society around a strong, centralized state, hierarchical order, and national unity. Ideologically, it combined traditionalist Catholic values with anti-liberal and anti-communist positions and advocated social cohesion through a corporatist economy and state-led development.

The AIB developed a recognizable organizational structure and engaged in mass rallies, youth leagues, and propaganda campaigns. Its uniforms and insignia—won through public displays and marches—were part of its identity, and the movement used circular emblems and banners to symbolize its ideals. Integralists aimed to mobilize broad segments of society, including workers and middle classes, around a national-religious vision.

Politically, the Integralists initially sought influence within Brazil’s evolving constitutional framework and later aligned with Getúlio Vargas as he moved toward greater state control. After Vargas established the Estado Novo regime in 1937, political organizations were repressed. In 1938, Integralists attempted an armed uprising, known as the Intentona Integralista, which failed and led to a crackdown on the movement. Plínio Salgado was arrested and later exiled for a period; the AIB dissolved in the subsequent years.

Legacy: Integralismo is studied as one of the early fascist-influenced movements in Latin America, illustrating the mix of Catholic traditionalism, nationalism, and corporatism in the region. In Brazilian historiography, integralistas are treated as a historical phenomenon that reflected the tensions between democracy, modernity, and authoritarian alternatives in the 1930s.