The Long Road to Closure: A Daughter's Fight for Justice Amid Brazil's Dark Past

Tessa Moura Lacerda, a philosophy professor, has spent years fighting for justice for her father, who died under torture during Brazil's military dictatorship. After finally obtaining a corrected death certificate that acknowledges the state’s role in his death, she emphasizes the importance of recognizing this painful part of history to heal and move forward.

 

In a poignant reflection of Brazil's tumultuous past, philosophy professor Tessa Moura Lacerda stands resolute, clutching her father's corrected death certificate. This document, reflecting his violent demise at the hands of the state during the country's harrowing military dictatorship, marks the culmination of a decades-long struggle for recognition of the atrocities committed from 1964 to 1985.

Tessa's father, Gildo Macedo Lacerda, was tortured to death at a mere 24 years old in 1973, a victim of the regime's brutal crackdown on dissent. After years of silence, she and her mother, Mariluce, fought to ensure the truth was finally documented, confronting the pain of a past that haunted them both. “It reads: ‘unnatural, violent death caused by the State to a missing person,’” Tessa recounted, the significance of the words pressing heavily upon her.

Their ordeal began on October 22, 1973, when the state arrested Gildo and Mariluce as part of their effort to fight against the oppressive military rule. While Mariluce endured torture and miraculously escaped, Gildo’s fate remained shrouded in mystery until truths emerged years later through a national truth commission. This commission uncovered that he was last witnessed in an interrogation room — screams echoing through the halls — before the government spun false narratives in newspapers to fabricate a different storyline regarding his death.

The emotional toll on Tessa has been profound. She grew up with the lingering absence of her father, cultivating a psychological scar that shaped her childhood dreams and fears. “His absence, the absence of his body, brought a series of questions,” she explained, reflecting on the turmoil of never having met him yet feeling an intense connection.

For Tessa, correcting her father's death certificate was more than a bureaucratic task; it was a mission to honor countless others who suffered under the regime's sinister grip. “It’s not just for my father’s memory,” she affirmed. However, despite the significant progress represented by this acknowledgment, the struggle for justice continues.

In December 2023, Brazil's government pledged to rectify death certificates for recognized victims, a promise brought to fruition by current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Yet many families still grapple with the residues of an unresolved past as military officials face no accountability due to existing amnesty laws. The restoration of truth, as Tessa highlights, is crucial to preventing history from repeating itself.

A recent film, **I'm Still Here**, directed by Walter Salles, has reignited national conversations about this dark chapter. Drawing parallels to her father's plight, Tessa's friend Marta Costta has also sought justice for her aunt, who was killed in the dictatorship years. The emotional weight of the film resonated with Brazilians, inviting reflections on generational trauma.

Although Tessa now possesses the long-elusive death certificate of Gildo, she remains determined to continue advocating for justice, seeking formal acknowledgment from the government. “I will not stop fighting until the end of my days,” she insisted. “I will bury my father.” This declaration echoes a wider sentiment among families longing for closure amidst the shadows of Brazil's history.