Supervised freedom

This book analyzes the contents of a series of confidential documents, both national and foreign, known as the “secret documents of the dictatorship,” revealing previously unknown facts about the dictatorial regime. France's external image has traditionally been linked to that of a land of asylum, having been the country where Brazilian exiles concentrated in the largest numbers since 1973. At the same time, French authorities—acting under the realist principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries—sought to remain silent on the Brazilian political situation, aiming to maintain the regularity of their relations with our country. Similarly, for a long time, the prevailing version was that Brazilian diplomacy was not involved in the arbitrary acts perpetrated by the military dictatorship that ruled in our country between 1964 and 1985. However, in 2011, with the Access to Information Law, the documentary archive from that period could finally be consulted, and it became clear that there was much to be investigated in this field, including, for example, how the French government sought to keep Brazilians in its territory under constant surveillance, especially those who had participated in actions by left-wing armed groups. Historian Paulo César Gomes accepted the challenge and delved into the previously secret world of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the various agencies linked to the National Intelligence Service (SNI). In "Liberdade Vigilada," he presents the results of his research, which are embodied in this solid, evidence-based work, articulated in analytical and theoretical terms, written with great narrative elegance.