MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazil’s 1964/85 military blackout on human rights abuses up for review
Rio do Janeiro riot police used pepper spray and tear gas on Thursday to chase protesters away from a celebration by retired soldiers marking the March 1964 coup that established Brazil's long military dictatorship. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesI can just hear the people of Homs, Syria, saying “Pepper spray! You were lucky ....!”
Mar 30th, 2012 - 10:12 am - Link - Report abuse 0about time Brazil started to put these people trials.
Mar 30th, 2012 - 07:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Thankfully Argentina started this process in 1982
I guess you know that Brasil has an amnesty in place.
Mar 30th, 2012 - 09:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0of course I do Geoff.
Mar 31st, 2012 - 01:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0i also know that Argentina had an amnesty in place too but thankfully this Gov't revoked it and has begun the process of trying all those responsible for certain crimes such as crimes again humanity which are IMPRESCRIPTIBLE by their very nature
And your next (military) government will revoke the revocation, Helber.
Mar 31st, 2012 - 10:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0Brasil is grappling with the dilemma of having an amnesty and also a one-sided court investigation into alleged wrong-doers. This is a truth commission - it is not (as in the case of the great world benchmark on how to do this with humanity - Mandela's post-apartheid South Africa) a Peace and *Reconciliation* Commission.
Brasil is finding there are better ways of managing this dilemma, but whilst ever the President is at risk of being indicted herself for atrocities, there is no chance of an even-handed commission.
next military gov't you say?
Mar 31st, 2012 - 11:30 am - Link - Report abuse 0You really haven't got a clue about Argentine history, do you?
Many things might be wrong with Argentina but if there is one thing clear is that military gov't have gone for good.
Do yourself a favour and look into the military budget since '82. That'll give you an indication of just how popular the military is in Argentina.
Helber,
Mar 31st, 2012 - 12:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0it might not be called a military government, but the government will not survive the wrath of the people without the military control of the 'excesses' of the people.
No, my substantive points were in the main body of the posting #5 - the need for *reconciliation* in order to move forward as a nation, and the need for an even-handed approach to atrocities.
You are right in saying that go't will not survive (no government ever last to many consecutive election periods as it wears out) but it will be replaced by another DEMOCRATICALLY elected one.
Mar 31st, 2012 - 08:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0AS to your main point. Yes, reconciliation is indeed an alternative and a very good one indeed. However its implementation is more challenging than the trial of those having had committed alleged crimes.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!