Global InformationLightning Column information
| Lightning Column | |||||||
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| Part of Tenentism | |||||||
 The Military Brigade in the streets of Santa Maria after its victory | |||||||
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Rebels
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 Brazil
Public Forces
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1,000 men | Unknown | ||||||
The Lightning Column (Portuguese: Coluna Relâmpago) was the last tenentist uprising, fought in southern Brazil from November 1926. Under the command of general Isidoro Dias Lopes, exiled in Argentina, military and civilian leaders of the government's opposition in Rio Grande do Sul combined incursions across Brazilian borders with uprisings in army garrisons in Rio Grande do Sul. The uprising, contrary to the federal and state governments, intended to indirectly support the Prestes Column, which was in Mato Grosso. Some conspirators anticipated the scheduled date (26 December), compromising the campaign plan, which was quickly dismantled by the loyalist army and state forces.
Previous revolts in Rio Grande do Sul were suppressed in 1924 and 1925, but the defeated rebels remained in neighboring countries. On 13–14 November, there were beginnings of revolt in the garrisons of São Gabriel and Bagé, followed on the 16th by that of Santa Maria, where the biggest fighting took place. On 7 December there was another army revolt, in São Leopoldo, but it was put down on the same day.
The Santa Maria rebels, led by the Etchegoyen brothers, did not overcome loyalist resistance of the Military Brigade of Rio Grande do Sul, even though they had artillery and greater numbers. After more than a day of urban combat, which damaged many buildings and led to the population fleeing, they withdrew from the city. Pursued by the loyalists, they were intercepted by the Auxiliary Corps (CA) near Seival, in Caçapava. With machine guns in good defensive positions, they defeated successive cavalry charges and wounded the enemy commander, Oswaldo Aranha.
The Seival rebels joined warlord Zeca Neto, coming from Uruguay, who led a war of movement until his defeat near São Sepé, on 25 December. Other chiefs and soldiers crossed the border to support Neto, unaware of the defeat. Júlio Barrios' campaign, from the extreme west of the state to the Santana do Livramento region, ended, as did Zeca Neto's, with his return to exile at the beginning of January. Parallel to these movements, Leonel Rocha entered Brazil through the Contestado region in November, seeking to cut the São Paulo-Rio Grande Railway, but his three-month long journey also ended in defeat.