In 1893, he left the army and took part in the Federalist Revolution in Rio Grande do Sul, against the government of president Floriano Peixoto.

This action forced the governor of São Paulo, Carlos de Campos, to abandon the city, effectively surrendering it to rebel control.

However, following several days of unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a settlement, federal troops surrounded the rebels and laid siege to the city, bombing it with artillery and aircraft.

Towards the end of July the government forces began to prevail in the fighting, and Lopes ordered the rebels to fall back in the direction of Paraná.

In time most, including Lopes, were marginalised, and the disunity in the rebel movement left only Carlos Prestes as the recognised leader.

[1] In 1930, with the victory of Júlio Prestes in the presidential elections, the defeated candidate Getúlio Vargas began to plan a coup d’etat against president Washington Luis.

He wrote to the president criticising the federal intervener of São Paulo, João Alberto, and the commander of the Força Pública Paulista, Miguel Costa.

[1][2] By 1932 he had turned to open opposition to Vargas and joined the campaign to return the country to constitutional rule, taking part in the movement that was to lead to the Constitutionalist Revolution in 1932.