Brazil remembers the 1964 coup and victims of the dictatorship
Brazil is remembering the 1964 coup that began on March 31 that year. The event 60 years ago sunk Brazil into a brutal 21-yearlong dictatorship that would last until 1985. Today, the country is still grappling with the meaning and memory of what happened.
The World
April 1, 2024 · 3:15 PM EDT
By Michael Fox
A convoy of Brazilian army troops, tanks and other vehicles pauses on the way to Rio de Janeiro, on April 1, 1964, after conspirators in the country's military high command overthrew the government and forced Brazilian President João Goulart to flee.
Photo/AP
On March 31, hundreds of people in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, walked to a former government detention and torture center in, in an event known as the "Walk of Silence." They were there to remember the anniversary of the 1964 coup and victims of the dictatorship, with many carrying large, black-and-white pictures of the victims.
In a video on YouTube, Angela Mendes de Almeida speaks to the crowd. “My husband was tortured and killed here,” she said. “It’s really hard for me. We have the obligation of continuing to demand punishment for the generals.”
During the military regime, hundreds were killed and disappeared. Thousands were detained and tortured.
Today, retiree Gracinda Gra has long gray hair and wears glasses. She was 6 years old on the day of the coup.
“The police came knocking at our door in São Paulo,” she said. "My dad was in a union. He went to jail. He was tortured. Just to remember it, givesme the chills."
On March 31, 1964, tanks rolled on the streets of Brasilia to overthrow President João Goulart, a member of Brazil’s Labor Party. He’d been pushing redistributive policies including tax reform, moderate agrarian reform and literacy campaigns.
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