War of memories during the transition to a Brazilian democracy: an analysis by Orvil (1984-1988)

• Grant number: 21/12713-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2022
• End date: February 28, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - History of Brazil
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Francisco Napolitano de Eugenio
• Grantee: Daniele de Paula
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research project is part of the theme of memory studies and seeks to understand the narrative disputes that occurred from the transition to Brazilian democracy, focusing on the period from 1984 to 1988. We believe that during the transition a critical memory of the dictatorship was consolidated, but on the other hand, there was a military offensive in the sense of trying to legitimize it. Our objective is precisely to study the military offensive and to do so we will analyze the Orvil, a project developed by the Army Intelligence Center in the mid-1980s. The hypothesis that guides this project is that Orvil not only sought to legitimize the dictatorship but also built a critical discourse on democracy that was established, trying to mobilize its support networks through the conspiracy theory that a new attempt to take power would be underway during the transition. Finally, we also believe that Orvil's narrative remains influential in the military and far-right milieu, making it important for understanding current disputes of memory and narrative. (AU)