Caparaó Guerrilla

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Caparaó Guerrilla
Part of armed struggle against the Brazilian military dictatorship
Date1966 – 1967
Location
Result

Brazilian Govermnent Victory

  • All MNR members arrested.
Belligerents
Brazilian military government MNR
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
Caparaó Guerrillas being extended to the Superior Military Court, April 20, 1967.[1] In the foreground one of Caparaó's leaders, the third Army sergeant Deodato Batista Fabrício. He ended up sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison, being amnestied in 1979.Brazilian National Archives[2]

The Caparaó Guerrilla was the second armed insurgency attempt against the Brazilian military dictatorship made by impeached former soldiers.[3] Inspired by the Serra Maestra guerrilla, it took place in the Serra do Caparaó, on the border between the states of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, from 1966 to 1967.[4][5][6][7]

History[edit]

Promoted by the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), an organization initially based in Montevideo, the guerrilla had financial support from Cuba, obtained through negotiations between Leonel Brizola, assisted by the A.P. (Popular Action), and the Cuban govermnent.[8] According to Denise Rollemberg, some members of the group - mostly made up of ex-soldiers, expelled from the armed forces - also received training in Cuba.

Leonel Brizola, political figure who stood out at this event.

Later, the Cuban government would have preferred to support Carlos Marighella. The movement lost its financial support and the guerrillas were practically abandoned at the top of the mountains.

The attempt to establish a guerrilla movement in the Caparaó mountain range was frustrated before the movement even took action. Its members remained there for a few months, carrying out training and reconnaissance of the region and were arrested by the Minas Gerais Military Police after being reported by the population themselves.[9]

Discovered by the intelligence services, the movement was rejected in April 1967, by a group from the Military Police of the State of Minas Gerais. According to sources, there was practically no exchange of fire. The guerrillas, around twenty exhausted and hungry men - some seriously weakened by the bubonic plague - were arrested at the site where they were sheltering or in neighboring cities.[10] Residents of the region were also detained for investigation.

Pico da Bandeira, where the Caparaó Guerrilla took place.
Caparaó National Park.

Later, with all the guerrillas arrested, the armed forces began to question whether those men were really revolutionaries or just common criminals. Then, the Minas Gerais police photographed them and also photographed their documents, which proved that they were ex-military. A large joint operation between the Army and the Air Force was then set up, with support from the police, to eliminate other guerrillas who might be hiding in the mountains. However, there was no one else and the operation was nothing more than a show of force with the aim of discouraging other outbreaks of armed resistance across the country.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Adiado julgament odos guerrilheiros". Correio da Manhã, Ano LXVI, edição 22712, página 8. 21 April 1967. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  2. ^ Ministério Público Militar (1967). "Ação Penal nº 50/67". Brasil: Nunca Mais. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Caparaó - Press Release do filme" (PDF). Retrieved 30 May 2015. Ver seção Contexto Político
  4. ^ "Entre Cabras e Ratos - José Caldas da Costa - História Viva". Archived from the original on 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Ex-comandante revê história do 1º foco guerrilheiro contra ditadura - O Estado de Minas". Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Alto Caparaó e a Guerrilha". Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. ^ "História da Guerrilha na Serra do Caparaó". Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  8. ^ Frederico, Flavio. "Caparaó – Um filme de Flavio Frederico" (PDF).
  9. ^ "A Guerrilha de Caparaó, o medo da população e as táticas adotadas pelas tropas de repressão ao movimento para conquistar a simpatia popular (1966-1967)" (PDF). Lahes.ufjf.br.
  10. ^ "Entre Cabras e Ratos". web.archive.org. 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2024-05-05.

Sources[edit]


External links[edit]

  • Caparaó. - Documentário de Flávio Frederico, vencedor do Festival É Tudo Verdade de 2006