Project foresees October 25th as National Day for the Defense of Democracy

Considered by many historians to be one of the main milestones in the fight against the civic-military dictatorship in Brazil, the murder of journalist, professor and playwright Vladimir Herzog (Vlado) turns 49 years old today (25). Murdered in a cell on the premises of the Information Operations Detachment – Internal Defense Operations Center (formerly Doi-Codi), an organ of repression and the practice of torture at the time of the military regime, his death certificate was forged as a “suicide” , a fraud that was deconstructed years later.

Herzog had been arrested on suspicion of links to the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB). Tortured and killed, the official allegation was that he had hanged himself with a belt in his cell. Forged photos were even released. However, in 1978 the Brazilian court decided to condemn the Union for the crime.

He was also a professor of television journalism at the Armando Álvares Machado Foundation (FAAP) and the USP School of Communications and Arts.

The journalist gives his name to the Vladimir Herzog Institute, whose mission is to defend the values ​​of democracy, human rights and freedom of expression. It annually awards one of the main journalism awards in the country.

Bill (PL) 6,103/2023, which plans to make October 25th official as national democracy day, was presented in December last year by senator Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA) and is awaiting submission to committees. The date marks the anniversary of the journalist’s murder.

In this year’s edition, the Brazilian Communication Company (EBC) won awards in two categories: for image by photographer Paulo Pinto, and video, for the special report “Innocents in prison”, shown on the program Caminhos da Reportagem, made by the team formed by Ana Passos, Gabriel Penchel, Adaroan Barros, Caio Araújo, Carlos Junior, Alex Sakata and Caroline Ramos.