Pau do Presidente, Historical monument at Transamazonian Highway km 4, Altamira, Brazil
Pau do Presidente is a monument on the Trans-Amazonian Highway near Altamira, Pará. It consists of three masts about 10 meters tall, carved from a Brazil nut tree trunk felled on 9 October 1970. The masts stand on a pale concrete platform above a darker base, with a low block to their left.
The monument was unveiled by President Emilio Garrastazu Medici in 1972 to mark completion of the first section of the Trans-Amazonian Highway. Its construction reflected the military government's agenda to develop and integrate the Amazon region.
The monument is popularly called Pau do Presidente, the President's Stick, after the felled Brazil nut trunk. Its three masts, each about 10 metres tall, stand for the three branches of the Republic. At the 1972 inauguration, General Médici unveiled a plaque fixed to the trunk and applauded the felling of a 50-metre Brazil nut tree.
The monument sits directly on the BR-230 federal highway approximately 4 kilometers from Altamira toward Maraba. Its roadside location makes it straightforward to visit while traveling along the main route through the region.
The Brazil nut tree used for the monument was felled in 1970, creating a direct link between the structure and Amazonian forest resources. This aged wood embodies the sacrifice of rainforest material to construct a symbol of national progress.
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