Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 28 n. 3 Rio de Janeiro 1985
Abstract
Conceiving human rights to be one of the political categories coexisting within a democratic social space, the author of this article discusses the movement to defend basic civil rights in the southern cone region of Latin America within the context of military authoritarianism. His aim is to interpret the political meaning and scope of this recent phenomenon. As a social practice bringing a new framework of language and meaning to the expressive area of politics (derived from its need to incorporate ethical principles and legal regulation), its irruption is concentrated in discourse spaces, and its impacts and implications in the prevailing interpretative codes: the artificial hegemony of military regimes and the use of the instruments of the state by conventional political actors. The conclusion drawn is that the human rights issue in the southern cone countries reveals the logic behind authoritarian domination together with its most perverse consequences, and also serves as an embryonic expression of an unprecedented democratic culture. The social and historical effectiveness of this democratic culture will depend, among other conditions, on the form by which military authoritarianism is brought to an end, as well as on the degree of approximation between human rights organizations and the foremost social and political forces.
A Resposta da Sociedade: A Luta Pelos Direitos Humanos no Cone Sul
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