Despite its longevity, the Brazilian dictatorship (1964-1985) gets far less attention than its South American counterparts. In large part this is because fewer people were killed. An amnesty was put in place in 1979, but unlike Argentina and Chile, it was not challenged. Until now. A married couple was arrested and tortured in 1972, and now are suing the retired army colonel they say is responsible, arguing that the amnesty prevents only criminal, not civil, charges. A state judge accepted that argument and so the case can go forward. As a side note, a great idea would be to analyze the ways in which amnesties are interpreted years after they are established.
This could have major repercussions, as there are former guerrillas in Lula’s administration who could potentially also be sued. As the article points out, Lula never brings up the issue of human rights during the dictatorship, or at least I haven’t read about him doing so.
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