Torture Brazilian military government

monument victims of torture in recife

as 1964, military government using various forms of torture devised systematically not gain information used crush opposition groups, intimidate , silence further potential opponents. radically increased after 1968.

while other dictatorships killed more people, brazil s specialty torture learned americans, later learned interrogation techniques british. extinguish left-wing opponents, dictatorship used arbitrary arrests, imprisonment without trials, kidnapping, , of all, torture, included rape , castration. book torture in brazil provides accounts of fraction of atrocities committed government.

the military government murdered hundreds of others, although done in secret , cause of death falsely reported accidental. government dismembered , hid bodies.

french general paul aussaresses, veteran of algerian war, came brazil in 1973. general aussaresses used counter-revolutionary warfare methods during battle of algiers, including systemic use of torture, executions , death flights. later trained u.s. officers , taught military courses brazil s military intelligence. later acknowledged maintaining close links military.

so far nobody has been punished these human rights violations, because of 1979 amnesty law written members of government stayed in place during transition democracy. law grants amnesty , impunity government official or citizen accused of political crimes during dictatorship. because of cultural amnesia in brazil, victims have never garnered sympathy, respect, or acknowledgement of suffering.

work underway alter amnesty law, has been condemned inter-american court of human rights. national truth commission created in 2011 attempting nation face past , honor fought democracy, , compensate family members of killed or disappeared. work concluded in 2014. reported under military regime @ least 191 people killed , 243 disappeared . total number of deaths measures in hundreds, not reaching nearing 1 thousand, while more 50,000 people detained , 10,000 forced go exile.

according comissão de direitos humanos e assistência jurídica da ordem dos advogados brasil, brazilian death toll government torture, assassination , disappearances 1964–81 [...] 333, included 67 killed in araguaia guerrilla front in 1972–74 . according brazilian army 97 military , civilians killed terrorist , guerrilla actions made leftist groups during same period.

in 2014 report brazil s national truth commission documented human rights abuses of military government, noted united states had spent years teaching torture techniques brazilian military during period.