Distorted Truth

This work draws a connection between the authoritarian conservatism of the Brazilian military dictatorship and the ideology present during Jair Bolsonaro's administration, while shedding light on the role of the secretive and feared intelligence and repression apparatus in Brazil during the military regime, known as DOI-CODI. It analyzes the autobiographical work "A Verdade Sufocada" by Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra, former commander of DOI-CODI, and its influence on contemporary far-right ideology. Additionally, it addresses the media's contribution to the formation of social memory and forgetting, especially concerning Brazil's dictatorial past. The study demonstrates how certain elements of the dictatorship, such as nationalism, conservatism, and persecution of leftist groups, are still present in the ideological movements of the New Right. The analysis offers a critical perspective on Bolsonarism and its legacy stemming from a period of human rights violations and the suppression of democratic freedoms.