MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazil remembers the 50th anniversary of the coup that led to 21 years of military rule
President Dilma Rousseff remembered on Monday, 31 March, those who died or disappeared fighting for the return of democracy in Brazil on the fifitieth anniversary of the miltiary coup of 1964, which lasted until 1985 and had full political support from the United States, at the time under president Lyndon Johnson. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rules“...... military coup of 1964, which lasted until 1985 and had full political support from the United States, at the time under president Lyndon Johnson”.
Apr 01st, 2014 - 08:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0Isn't it time for the US government to make a mea cupla to Latin America for its support to repressive regimes during the Cold War in the same way that Russian leaders have done with the countries of eastern Europe that were under the USSR? The problem is that such an act would seriously dent the global image of 'defender of freedom and liberty' - an extraordinary 'untruth' that the rulers of the US has built ever since its foundation.
One of the major mistakes of the US government was to support these regimes.
Apr 01st, 2014 - 03:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The mainstream Brazilian press , in “celebrating” the 50 years of the Military Coup, is glorifying the actions of those - the “guerrilheiros” - who supposedly rose up in arms to defend democracy....before believing this untruth, just look at the date the coup took place - 31st March, 1964 - happens that the so-called “guerrilheiros” had already been training all sorts of urban guerilla tactics - how to assault banks, assassinations, kidnapping, making of bombs etc - in Cuba, since 1961, with the sole intention of returning to Brazil to attempt to topple the “democratically” elected government of Janio Quadros (in 1960) and install a Cuban style regime in Brazil. It is strange that all the facts prior to the coup, as well as Joao Goulart's courting the Russians (then USSR) have been simply, and conveniently, omitted. The problem (for the guerillas) was when the military, seeing the direction Jango was taking, decided to intervene/take over, thwarting their dirty plans....and now with the PT rewriting history for the benefit of the ignorant masses (and theirs), it is not too difficult to imagine what the PT has in store for Brazil...time will tell.
Apr 01st, 2014 - 04:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Given the abject corruption at the highest levels and the abysmal economic situation brought about by liars and con-merchants in the government perhaps it is time for another military rule for Brazil!
Apr 01st, 2014 - 06:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0AND ALL DONE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE! © Kenny Everett – long live his memory.
Am pretty sure that military are accompanying all this crap, and not liking it....and if push comes to shove, I hope they DO take over...have had enough of this PT shit and their attempt to perpetuate themselves in power, just for the sake of power (and of course, to steal with impunity).....becos they ain't in power to to do some good for the people, that's for sure !
Apr 02nd, 2014 - 06:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0Remember, you're using the Workers' Party,'PT', to embrace all the dozens of small left wing parties that combine their energies via coalitions, to steal as much as possible from the people.
Apr 03rd, 2014 - 09:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0It astounded me when I first moved to Brasil, that the primary motivation of South American politics was - absolutely blatantly - to make personal and family fortunes out of the people; I always thought that 'politically left of centre South America' would be where I found politicians working for the people ... instead I found political evil.
There ARE good people in Brasil - I know many of them, but they stay away from politics, building careers in industries, commercial law, etc. But even here they cannot escape the tentacles of corruption that are forever reaching out to bind them in to malpractices.
It is as if there is a death-wish of bad behaviour that pervades all parts of South America. ... like “You think the USA is bad - just see how much worse we can do things!”
Geoff, you are right....literally DOZENS of small left-wing parties, including PC do B, with their red sickle & hammer flag, all in the game to hire themselves out to whoever is willing to pay (the most). As you said, there ARE a lot of good people, those who know what they are talking about, and are 100% qualified to head any Ministry, BUT, they want distance from such a corrupt system. The problem is that either you join the bad guys, or they will get rid of you.
Apr 03rd, 2014 - 02:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0To Pytangua in response to your comment:
Apr 04th, 2014 - 01:50 am - Link - Report abuse +1Isn't it time for the US government to make a mea cupla to Latin America for its support to repressive regime...?
Yes!!! When will the U.S. start its own Truth Commission and apologize for supporting and financing Brazil's misery, not to mention its support of so many other repressive governments in South America? (The CIA trained Brazil's police in how to torture people too. There's lots more, but you have to read James N. Green to find it.) This needs to go public, and not just with a couple watered-down articles. At this point there's far more information written in Portuguese about U.S. involvement than there is in English, and you can imagine why--the same reason you give in your excellent comment.
@8, with all due 'respeito', you are just another brainwashed turd ; If support Pytangua's comments on the Russian 'mea culpa' to Eastern Europe after the USSR deintegrated, what have you got to say about the Russian annexation of Crimea ??
Apr 04th, 2014 - 03:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And the USA to start its own “Truth Commission” ? are you nuts ? This so-called “Truth Commission” in Brazil is just a (very) ONE-sided farce to accuse the Military, and to pardon the “guerrilheiros”, with the sole objective of receive enormous indemnifications for those sorry-assed “guerrilheiros”, who today are infiltrated in the Government under the guise of 'Human Rights” defenders.....gimme a break !! You need to read serious reporting - not the crap that the mainstream media feeds you (highly influenced by the Federal Government) - or have lived during the “dictatorship”....we can thank the Military for saving us from becoming one big Cuba....but if that's what you want, go and live there...in the Cuban 'paradise'....
Perhaps. 'Respeito' (to me) means 'deference'. This means that he/she may be responsive to good argument, well made.
Apr 04th, 2014 - 07:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I have made Jack's argument (#9) on a number of occasions, but have NEVER had a South American response that addressed adequately the one-sided, highly partial nature of the Commission.
Why is it (respeito) that no South American country - especially Brasil - will even entertain a 'proper' Truth AND Reconciliation Commission?
Jack, Forget Russia. I wasn't making any parallel there. I mean the U.S. needs admit to and apologize for its support of such a terrible, abusive government (and many others. For a list, see: http://ciameddling.tripod.com/). Have you read much about the dictatorship? Like the dictators, you seem to classify anybody who opposed their vicious regime as a “guerilla.” Is it a guerilla act to attempt to unionize workers or teach the illiterate poor of the Northeast their rights? Of course not. Do you think that such heinous torture was justified for the thousands who passed through their jails, the majority of whom never committed any crime against the state? And when the State itself is an illegal institution systematically abusing citizens in violation of international law, does “crime against the State” even have the same meaning? Of course not. We're talking David and Goliath here, but you seem to have fallen prey to the myth of the “threat” represented by these largely students, church leaders, and humanitarians. You might try reading a wider variety of presses, including Brazilian and academic ones - to get a broader view.
Apr 04th, 2014 - 07:56 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Geoff, what do you mean by one-sided and “proper”? I'm sure the Commission has its flaws--among them, it seems too little too late, and those who tortured and murdered still haven't been brought to justice. Is that what you mean? What would proper reconciliation look like? It seems before you can have reconciliation, you have to even admit that atrocities were committed, and that has been a challenge for decades. At least the Commission admits transgressions took place on both sides. This is very big of them, considering the enormity of the damage done by the dictatorship and the paucity of that done by the resistance, as this cartoon aptly reminds us: http://ciameddling.tripod.com/).
Respeito@11...OK, let's forget about Russia.
Apr 04th, 2014 - 09:32 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Let's talk about the Brazilian one- side “Truth Commission”...I don't know whether you were around prior to the 31st March ,1964....I was, and I can tell you, first hand, that the 'gang' that rules the country today, was already up in arms against the “democratically” elected Janio Quadros...his resignation, until today, is still unclear, but the real problem started after Jango got in....pls re-read my @ 3, above...
while you right that a lot of people carted off by the military were probably inoffensive to the State, why would anyone, in their right mind, get involved in what the military might consider suspicious activities ?? so, if you did, it was because you accepted the risk of getting caught , as well as the likely consequences....and Dilma, Genuino, Dirceu and the rest of the band of communist idealists, were already doing their thing before the military even appeared on the scene...What about the army privates who were murdered in cold blood by the “guerrilheiros” that you apparently defend as community organizers, nothing more ?? They were not innocent, and when caught, deserved what they got...isn't that the way “war” works ?? Or do they expect to have their cake and eat it too ?? What about the US ambassador ?? and the army Captain....I suppose you think it's OK to sweep them under the carpet, they don't count !! Like hell !!!
But what really gets me, is the fact that the “Truth Commission”, while they admit there were transgressions on BOTH sides, are only prepared to investigate the military - the OTHER side - but not themselves....very IMPARTIAL, very UNDEMOCRATIC, as DEMOCRACY is a term people like to throw around, but only when it's in their favour...It's not enough to admit to trangressions on both sides, it SHOULD investigate BOTH sides too.
Respeito
Apr 05th, 2014 - 11:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0Thanks for your measured response.
You may be new to the site - if so you may not be aware of my background;
on the other hand you may have hear this before - if so, bad luck!
My Brasilian partner was a freedom fighter/terrorist, depending on your point of view - somewhat frightened when guns go bang, but sufficiently political to join the groups that fought against the military. Luckily for her, her father was sufficiently highly placed to 'protect' her, and it was suggested she leave Brasil, reaching London at the same time as Caetano ('London, London').
Thirty years later she returned with a balanced political perspective and a realistic view - from the outside - of Brasil's ills and woes.
We spent some years fighting corruption - not from the Left or from the Right, just from the understanding of what is right and wrong.
You ask
'What would proper reconciliation look like? It seems before you can have reconciliation, you have to even admit that atrocities were committed, and that has been a challenge for decades.'
Well, I suggest that you investigate thoroughly the South African post-Apartheit mix of Truth and Reconciliation. It is extremely pragmatic and has raised pragmatic reconciliation to new benchmarks, making - along the way - Mandela a personal hero of mine and of many millions more.
If you can help Brasil down this track you will help not only your own country but perhaps the rest of South America as well.
I know Dilma has a personal problem here (see Jack #12); her 'cell' was personally involved in the US killings ... which of course made her an *International* terrorist rather than a national freedom fighter. I know she was just one of the many International cells that were operating across the world at the same time as the Red Brigade, but she really did these things - should this go unpunished, officially unrecognised, or 'reconciled'?
Mandela shows us all the way, and is is not the vindictive route.
@ 13 GeoffWard2
Apr 05th, 2014 - 09:36 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Geoff, you are a lovely guy and you also seem far more laid back of late.
Does this mean, as you stated you were thinking of doing, that you have moved back to the UK?
But to the topic. Dilma is the president Geoff and her past “misdemeanours” seem to have been unknown to many or ignored by the others. Don’t forget that presidents “rule” us in SA!
If we wanted it in B&W we can cast our gaze to “No Money Pepe” the illiterate and semi-numerate murdering commie bastard Tupa of Uruguay who never even finished big school. We KNOW what he did.
Thanks, Chris.
Apr 06th, 2014 - 06:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0Perhaps the difference between South America and the UK is that in SA you can still elect illiterates; this rarely happens in the more 'controlled' democracies of the UK.
I enjoyed the frisson of life in a more anarchic Brasilian society but I was lucky in that we had the money and ability to protect hearth and home; I have been also very lucky, having pressed certain matters to the point where most governments would have pack me off on the next flight.
My associations are now with Belize ... and I find that corruption and drug cartels are just as bad - and even worse in Belize City!
But, however old you get, Chris, never stop 'kicking the pricks'.
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