Brazil declares three-day official mourning for the deaths of Laura Cardoso and Glória Menezes

Brazil is in official three-day mourning for the deaths of historical actresses and drama icons Laura Cardoso and Glória Menezes. Both died less than 24 hours apart.

The decrees were published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette of the Union on Tuesday night (18).

Laura Cardoso died at the age of 98 in São Paulo. The information was confirmed on his official profile on the social network Instagram. With her baptismal name Laurinda de Jesus Balleroni, the actress would have turned 99 in September.

Glória Menezes died at her home in Rio de Janeiro, aged 91. The cause of death was not disclosed by the family. Nilcedes Soares de Magalhães, the actress's official name, began her career on TV Tupi's teletheater.

In a note of condolence, the Ministry of Culture referred to Laura Cardoso as one of the main names in Brazilian dramaturgy. “The artist built a career spanning more than eight decades and was part of the history of radio, theater, cinema and television in the country.”

In a second note, the ministry cited Glória Menezes as a reference for national television drama. “He marked different generations throughout more than six decades of his career, with prominent characters on television and works in theater and cinema.”