A recent study has uncovered hidden truths about Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964–1985), revealing a vast international surveillance network. Researchers analyzed 8,000 documents from the regime’s secret spy agency, CIEX, exposing how Brazil monitored over 17,000 people—mostly foreigners—across Latin America and beyond.
Using embassies and consulates as intelligence hubs, the dictatorship collaborated with local police and military forces to track, imprison, and eliminate dissidents. Their operations targeted Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, and Portugal, silencing opposition even outside Brazil.
This discovery highlights the dictatorship’s global reach, reshaping our understanding of authoritarian power and its impact on international relations and human rights.
Hidden Archives and the Truth Revealed
These documents are just a small part of the dictatorship’s secret files. The rest were almost destroyed when the regime ended. The existence of the secret spy agency, CIEX, was hidden for over 20 years. A newspaper finally revealed its existence in 2007, after finding documents that had been moved to the State Archive.
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Someone who wrote about these findings said that this discovery puts the government’s diplomats alongside the military in the spotlight. The secret spy agency was created in 1966 by a diplomat who believed that communism was evil and needed to be stopped. He used his position to build a network of spies and collaborators.
Before the military coup in 1964, this diplomat had already started collecting information on people he considered dangerous. He even received a collection of files from his predecessor, containing information on people involved in “subversive” activities. When he left his position, he gave these files to a friend who worked with another spy agency.
Later, he became an ambassador in Uruguay, where a former Brazilian president lived in exile. He built a network of contacts with local officials to spy on and suppress opposition to the Brazilian dictatorship. He then used these methods to create the secret spy agency when he became the Secretary General for Foreign Affairs.
His actions were closely tied to the United States, which supported the military coup in Brazil. A former spy revealed that the decision to send this diplomat to Uruguay was made by the US spy agency, which considered him very efficient. The Brazilian dictatorship worked with the US to overthrow other governments and suppress revolutionary movements across Latin America.
The documents from the secret spy agency reveal how Latin American military dictatorships, with help from the US, created secret networks to carry out coups and persecute their opponents. These actions led to Operation Condor, a plan that united the spy agencies of several dictatorships in the region. With support from the US, they kidnapped, tortured, and killed thousands of people.
Secrets Kept and Renewed Dangers
Even though these secrets have been revealed, some documents, like the order that created the spy agency, are still hidden. The Brazilian government has not officially acknowledged the existence of this agency. When asked about it, they have given vague answers.
Researchers say that one reason for keeping these secrets is that many people who worked for the dictatorship continued their careers in the government after it ended. The current political situation makes these secrets even more important.
In Brazil, there was an attempted coup by supporters of a former president. This attempt to bring back a dictatorship shows that the dangers of the past are still present. The government has been criticized for not fully addressing the crimes of the dictatorship.
There are concerns about connections between the Brazilian and Chilean militaries, which have a history of working together on coups and repression. The US is also increasing its influence in Latin America, which raises fears of a return to the dark days of dictatorships and human rights abuses.
A former US president has talked about sending US citizens to prisons in countries where human rights are violated. He has also shown support for leaders who have ties to past dictatorships. There are fears that this could lead to a revival of the oppressive networks of the past, this time with a focus on persecuting people within the United States.
These developments highlight the need for people in Latin America and the US to unite and fight against any return to oppressive rule. They must work together to protect their freedoms and build a better future.