Vanguarda Armada Revolucionária Palmares
Encyclopedia
The Vanguarda Armada Revolucionária Palmares (VAR Palmares, Palmares Armed Revolutionary Vanguard) was a far left
guerrilla
organization in Brazil, which fought against the military dictatorship installed after the United States government
-backed 1964 coup d'état in the country. The organization was named after Palmares
, a legendary quilombo
destroyed by Portuguese
artillery in 1694. It was created in July 1969, as a result of the merger between Comando de Libertação Nacional
(Colina) and Vanguarda Popular Revolucionária (VPR, Popular Revolutionary Vanguard), led by anti-dictatorship Army
Captain Carlos Lamarca
.
As historian and former MR-8
militant Daniel Aarão Reis Filho declared to journalist Elio Gaspari
, "as part of the radicalization process initiated on 1961, the project of the leftist organizations that supported the armed struggle was revolutionary, abusive and dictatorial (...) There is not even one document of those organizations in which they present themselves as a tool of democratic
resistance".
The organization carried out acts of robbery, and theft. The best known of them is the expropriation of the mythical "Adhemar de Barros
' safe box", which contained over 2.8 million dollars in cash, equivalent to 16.2 million dollars in 2007. The safe was in the residence of Anna Gimel Benchimol Capriglione, secretary and mistress of the former governor of São Paulo, which was popularly known by his catchphrase "he steals, but he does it". The militants assumed that the money kept in the safe would be the product of corruption
. Carlos Minc
was one of the members of VAR Palmares which participated in the robbery. Dilma Rousseff
was also a member, but she claims not to have taken part in the group's most famous transgression. While some versions state that Dilma organized the whole operation, Minc and other members of the group ensures that she had no major role in the VAR Palmares.
On September 1969, one of its splinter groups recriated the VPR and another faction created the DVP, later renamed Unit Group. Also in 1969, VAR Palmares members planned the kidnapping of Finance Minister Antônio Delfim Netto, planner of the "Brazilian economic miracle" and the most powerful civilian in the regime at that time. The alleged kidnapping was to occur in December of that year, but it was not accomplished because most VAR Palmares members were captured and jailed just weeks before.
VAR Palmares was dismantled in 1971 due to strong repression from the military. Two of its main leaders were imprisoned and murdered by the regime: Carlos Alberto Soares de Freitas, one of Colina's founders, and Joaquim da Mariano Silva, a veteran member of the Peasant Leagues, which "disappeared
" in the DOI-CODI
jail in Rio de Janeiro
.
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
organization in Brazil, which fought against the military dictatorship installed after the United States government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
-backed 1964 coup d'état in the country. The organization was named after Palmares
Palmares (quilombo)
Palmares, or Quilombo dos Palmares, was a fugitive community of escaped slaves and others in colonial Brazil that developed from 1605 until its suppression in 1694. It was located in what is today the Brazilian state of Alagoas.-Quilombos or mocambos:...
, a legendary quilombo
Quilombo
A quilombo is a Brazilian hinterland settlement founded by people of African origin, Quilombolas, or Maroons. Most of the inhabitants of quilombos were escaped slaves and, in some cases, a minority of marginalised Portuguese, Brazilian aboriginals, Jews and Arabs, and/or other non-black,...
destroyed by Portuguese
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
artillery in 1694. It was created in July 1969, as a result of the merger between Comando de Libertação Nacional
Comando de Libertação Nacional
The Comando de Libertação Nacional was a far left political organization in Brazil. It originated on 1967 in the state of Minas Gerais, through the merger of Worker's Politics , an organization founded in 1961 as a faction of the Brazilian Socialist Party, with some leftists military...
(Colina) and Vanguarda Popular Revolucionária (VPR, Popular Revolutionary Vanguard), led by anti-dictatorship Army
Brazilian Army
The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence , Argentina-Brazil War , War of the Farrapos , Platine War , Uruguayan War ...
Captain Carlos Lamarca
Carlos Lamarca
Carlos Lamarca was a Brazilian Army Captain who deserted to become a communist guerilla member. He was a part of the revolutionary guerrilla group Popular Revolutionary Vanguard and became, along with Carlos Marighella, one of the major elements of communist subversion in Brazil...
.
As historian and former MR-8
Revolutionary Movement 8th October
The Revolutionary Movement 8th October is a Brazilian political movement, formerly an urban guerrilla group...
militant Daniel Aarão Reis Filho declared to journalist Elio Gaspari
Elio Gaspari
Elio Gaspari is a Brazilian journalist and writer resident in São Paulo, Brazil. He came to Brazil while still an infant, and began his career in journalism not long thereafter...
, "as part of the radicalization process initiated on 1961, the project of the leftist organizations that supported the armed struggle was revolutionary, abusive and dictatorial (...) There is not even one document of those organizations in which they present themselves as a tool of democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
resistance".
The organization carried out acts of robbery, and theft. The best known of them is the expropriation of the mythical "Adhemar de Barros
Adhemar de Barros
Adhemar Pereira de Barros was the mayor of São Paulo , and twice elected Governor of São Paulo . He was also the federal interventor in the state of São Paulo nominated by Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas, serving between 1938 and 1941...
' safe box", which contained over 2.8 million dollars in cash, equivalent to 16.2 million dollars in 2007. The safe was in the residence of Anna Gimel Benchimol Capriglione, secretary and mistress of the former governor of São Paulo, which was popularly known by his catchphrase "he steals, but he does it". The militants assumed that the money kept in the safe would be the product of corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. Carlos Minc
Carlos Minc
Carlos Minc is a Brazilian geographer, professor, environmentalist, politician and Minister of Environment in Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's second term as president of Brazil.-Personal life:...
was one of the members of VAR Palmares which participated in the robbery. Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
was also a member, but she claims not to have taken part in the group's most famous transgression. While some versions state that Dilma organized the whole operation, Minc and other members of the group ensures that she had no major role in the VAR Palmares.
On September 1969, one of its splinter groups recriated the VPR and another faction created the DVP, later renamed Unit Group. Also in 1969, VAR Palmares members planned the kidnapping of Finance Minister Antônio Delfim Netto, planner of the "Brazilian economic miracle" and the most powerful civilian in the regime at that time. The alleged kidnapping was to occur in December of that year, but it was not accomplished because most VAR Palmares members were captured and jailed just weeks before.
VAR Palmares was dismantled in 1971 due to strong repression from the military. Two of its main leaders were imprisoned and murdered by the regime: Carlos Alberto Soares de Freitas, one of Colina's founders, and Joaquim da Mariano Silva, a veteran member of the Peasant Leagues, which "disappeared
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
" in the DOI-CODI
DOI-CODI
The Destacamento de Operações de Informações - Centro de Operações de Defesa Interna was the Brazilian intelligence and repression agency during the military government . This period started on March 31, 1964 with the removal of the civilian government by military forces and ended in the 1984....
jail in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.