Locais de tortura na cidade do Recife nos tempos da ditadura civil-militar.

Abstract

The research to create a map of torture sites in the city of Recife was conducted within the context of the civil-military dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985), a period marked by political repression, the suspension of civil rights, and the systematic persecution of opponents, especially those with communist ideologies. During this time, the State used torture and other violent methods as instruments of social control, resulting in severe human rights violations. In addition to mapping these sites, the research aimed to understand the functioning of these repressive spaces, where individuals were subjected to physical and psychological violence. The methodology included analyzing testimonies and information from the reports of the National Truth Commission (CNV) and the Dom Helder Câmara State Truth and Memory Commission (CEMVDHC), as well as other historiographical sources. The research also drew on theoretical reflections by Paul Ricoeur, who explores the relationship between memory and forgetting in the process of historical construction; Carlo Ginzburg, whose micro-historical approach allows for a detailed analysis of everyday repressive practices; and Michel Foucault, who provides a critical analysis of power and social control, essential for understanding the mechanisms of surveillance and torture institutionalized during the military regime. Michel de Certeau, with his distinction between space and place, was also crucial in highlighting how torture sites, although controlled by the State, were transformed by practices of repression and resistance, becoming significant in the construction of collective memory. As a result, the magazine Memórias das Sombras was created, aimed at 3rd-year high school students, with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of critically reflecting on the consequences of a regime characterized by violence and human rights violations.