Bolsonaro's statements on both the disappearance of Fernando Santa Cruz de Oliveira and the Truth Commission's documents and conclusions are irresponsible, cruel, and deserving of complete repudiation. The Brazilian military dictatorship, as noted in a 2014 Truth Commission report, caused indescribable suffering to thousands of Brazilians, with state officials overseeing disappearances, deaths, acts of torture, and arbitrary detentions. Until now, no one has been held responsible for these abuses, despite the Truth Commission's recommendations and the conclusions reached by the Inter-American human rights system.
By making these statements – which he himself concedes are based only on “feeling” and not backed by evidence – Bolsonaro distorts the truth and shows extraordinary disdain for the dignity of the regime's victims and their families. We express our wholehearted solidarity with the victims of Brazil's military dictatorship and, in this particular case, with Dr. Felipe Santa Cruz, President of the Brazilian Bar Association, and his family.
