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The Military Ministers and Political Change in Post-Authoritarian Brazil

1993; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 18; Issue: 35 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/08263663.1993.10816691

2333-1461

Daniel Zirker,

Political and Social Dynamics in Chile and Latin America

One important barrier to the democratization process in Latin American countries has been the persistence of military-institutional structures, often at the very heart of the national polity. In the case of Brazil, these structures evolved during a period of protracted military dictatorship, and have depended for their survival after 1985 upon the pivotal role of the military ministers in the presidential cabinet. An examination of the striking changes in the roles and functions of the military ministers between the presidencies of José Sarney and Fernando Collor de Melo suggests that the democratization process in Brazil has involved a pervasive and effective depoliticization of the military from the first to the second post-authoritarian presidencies, although significant qualifications to this observation exist.