Government of Pará launches human rights seal focused on memory and resistance during the Military Dictatorship
Initiative includes publications that rescue the trajectory of persecuted residents of Pará and the role of alternative press
The Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat for Racial Equality and Human Rights (Seirdh) and the Official Press of the State of Pará (Ioepa), will launch a publishing seal aimed at promoting human rights with a focus on memory and resistance during the Military Dictatorship. The initiative includes the launch of two works scheduled for December 13, the date that marks the promulgation of Institutional Act No. 5 (AI-5) in 1968 — one of the most severe milestones of the authoritarian regime in Brazil.
The first book will gather the stories of ten residents of Pará whose rights were violated during the dictatorship and who were officially recognized by the Special Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances (CEMDP), linked to the Federal Government. The publication highlights the trajectories of struggle and the impacts of repression, and also reinforces the role of the State in the formal recognition of these victims through the issuance of death certificates.
“SEIRDH wishes for the debate on human rights to prevail more and more. The right to memory is a way to promote social justice and inclusion. The launch will be made within the public publisher Dalcídio Jurandir, and the books will be distributed to universities and high schools in the Metropolitan Region of Belém, stimulating the debate on the theme in educational spaces,” said the secretary of Seirdh, Edilza Fontes.
Alternative press and cultural resistance
The second work will be a collection of cartoons published by the newspaper Resistência, a vehicle created by the Pará Society for the Defense of Human Rights (SDDH) during the 1970s. The publication played a relevant role in denouncing the violations promoted by the military regime, acting as an alternative voice to the official media.
“This work was essential to give visibility to the reality of the dictatorship. The newspaper Resistência offered an alternative to the press controlled by the regime, presenting information and analyses that did not reach the population through other means,” added Edilza Fontes.
Commitment to democracy
The president of the Official Press of the State of Pará (Ioepa), responsible for the Dalcídio Jurandir publisher, highlighted the historical relevance of the initiative. For him, the works symbolize an important step in preserving memory and strengthening democracy.
“We have established a partnership with SEIRDH to publish two fundamental books in the process of transitional justice, memory, and valuing the struggles of the Brazilian people for democracy. It is a work of great historical importance, which reinforces the State's commitment to human rights,” he stated.
The publications are part of a series of actions by the Government of Pará aimed at recognizing and valuing the victims of the military regime, promoting the rescue of memory as an instrument of social transformation and strengthening citizenship.
