A new ‘Brazilian Revolution’: maoism to struggle against militar dicatatorship in Brazil (1960´s – 1970´s)

Abstract

In a world where Asia occupies again her historical role, after two centuries of European and North American domination – an “aberration”, according to Kishore Mahbubani –, the lega-cy of traditions from this continent in Latin American intellectual life and politics appears slightly. Thus maoism informed several political currents and generations of political activists, such as PCB, AP or PCdoB. Apart from definitions, they were interested in the way of thinking of Chinese communists, unlikely winners, which opened perspectives as to how to conceive revolution in Brazil in a way more cohe-rent with its historical originality, geographical complexity, and level of development. Aspects formerly seen as hindrances became beacons of hope: rural economic preponderance, especially peasant struggles in the Northeast or Maringa etc. Some examples from the continent favoured this bet. Ten years after the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, a Cuban revolutionary movement achieved power coming from the rural areas. The phrase “the countryside surrounds the city”, gaining power in the 1960´s, seemed to be realized here as well as with national liberation wars in Viet Nam, Asia, Africa and Latin America (Naxalites, MPLA, Sendero luminoso etc.). For young Brazilian activists, under strong repression from the military dictatorship since 1964, especially with AI 5 in 1968, maoism offered a new horizon. Apart from the change in model, perspectives opened in the arts, or currents such as feminism etc., the Little Red Book (although clandestine) representing an incentive to struggle, and a solidarity link with other fighters around the world.

Keywords

• maoism
• comunism
• latin america
• brazil
• youth
• armed struggle