Serious violations of human rights perpetrated by the Brazilian state between 1964 and 1985: Cases of deaths and forced disappearances in the National Truth Commission Report

Abstract

This article addresses the constitution of the structure of repression during the Brazilian Military Dictatorship (1964 - 1985) and its role in the elimination of the groups opposing the regime, taking as a source the National Truth Commission Report (2012 - 2014). The dictatorship instituted a complex network of agencies at both federal and state level designed to control, arbitrarily arrest, torture, execute and hide the bodies of a large part of the members of leftist organizations. The article presents documents that reflect the State’s systematic policy at the time of refusing to provide information to the requests and accusations made by family members of people killed or disappeared, or by international organizations, including the existence of a widespread practice adopted by the repressive agencies and the government of creating documents with false information. Finally, among the findings of the National Truth Commission, we present the research line regarding forced disappearances with the use of files from police and forensic medical institutes.