ABSTRACT
The slow pace of the Brazilian transition - which has already gone on for several years without any clear indication of its termination - has led some observers to doubt that the military guardians of the regime really intend to withdraw from power. The tendency of military governments to see themselves as caretakers rather than permanent regimes is illustrated in Brazil by the "moderating power" which the Armed Forces used to justify their intervention in 1964. Brazil's international image fell as security forces and terrorists engaged in a struggle which led to suffering for many innocent people. After 1964, Brazil suffered from both formal and informal censorship, directed against Marxism, Populism, and criticisms that were considered hostile to the regime. The most prominent effect of amnesty has been the return of numerous Brazilians from compulsory or voluntary exile, including a number of leading politicians who had been active in the period before 1964.
