Honors for repression: the award of the Peacemaker Medal to agents of the security apparatus (1964-1985)

Authors

  • Mariana Joffily Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina
  • Maud Chirio Universidade Paris Est - Marne La Vallée (França)

Abstract

The article analyzes the awarding of the Peacemaker Medal to state officers involved in the political repression in Brazil during the military dictatorship. The research aims to understand the significance and the criteria for the awarding of the medal, the justifications, the proportion of members of the intelligence community who were decorated and the moments of the awarding of the medal during the period. With this aim in mind, the list of recipients was cross-referenced with the records produced by ex-political prisoners and human rights groups who denounced state agents for acts of torture. The article’s conclusion is that the number of medals awarded to agents of repression represents a small percentage of the total. However, it is considerably higher in the case of the more prestigious category, “with Distinction”. In addition, it shows that those state agents were decorated because of their involvement in political persecution, in spite of having violated human rights.

Keywords: military dictatorship, political repression, Peacemaker Medal.

Author Biographies

Mariana Joffily, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

Professora do Departamento de História e do Programa de Pos-graduação da UDESC

Maud Chirio, Universidade Paris Est - Marne La Vallée (França)

Professora universitária. Departamento de História

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Published

2014-07-30

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 3 (2014): September/December

Section

Dossiê: A ditadura brasileira: história e historiografia

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