The Lula government’s decision not to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1964 military coup reveals that the dictatorship has not yet been overcome in Brazil. The warning comes from the UN rapporteur on Truth, Justice and Reparation, Fabian Salvioli. For him, silence is the abandonment of the victims of repression, something the state could “never” do.
Responsible for the issue for the last six years, the rapporteur stated that he was surprised by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s determination for his government to maintain silence on March 31st. For him, Brazilian authorities are violating one of their international obligations by choosing silence. “It’s not an option,” he said.
In an exclusive interview with UOL, Salvioli is concerned about the possibility that this decision to suppress the date may be related to an alleged lack of freedom on the part of the government in relation to the military. For the UN rapporteur, it would be “very serious” if such a decision was part of “blackmail by the Armed Forces”.
