(PT) Armed Forces and militarization of the public security in Brazil: the case of the Morro da Providência

Abstract

After 26 years of the end of the military regime and 23 years of the promulgation of the current Constitution, the Brazilian democracy remains non-consolidated. Among others important factors that contribute to this status quo, there are several military prerogatives preserved constitutionally in the New Republic. One of them is the militarization of the public security. In this sense, the use of the Armed Forces in the missions of maintenance of the law and order has been reinforcing such militarization. One of its main ramifications has been the systematic violation of human rights. The case of the Morro da Providência corroborates empirically this idea. This violation, in its turn, has been contributing strongly to the low quality of the Brazilian democracy and has become an obstacle to the consolidation of an effective democratic regime.