Former president's
family to sue U.S. gov't
over Brazilian military
coup
Brazil's Superior Court
of Justice (STJ) is to
decide Thursday whether
former President Joao
Goulart's family is able
to sue the U.S.
government for
involvement in the 1964
military coup, which
deposed Goulart.
The president's widow,
Maria Thereza Fontella
Goulart, and their
children, Joao Vicente
Fontella Goulart and
Denise Fontella Goulart,
requested indemnities
based on charges of
damage to the family's
patrimony, image and
morality, allegedly
caused by the U.S.
government's
participation in the
episode.
They argued that,
following the coup, they
were persecuted by the
military and faced
financial difficulties,
and they were constantly
threatened by murder,
bombing and kidnapping.
They said the U.S.
government financially
supported Brazilian
Congress candidates that
were opposed to Goulart,
and provided logistics
and military back-up to
the forces that waged
the coup.
The Goulart family
pointed out that there
is no international law
establishing that a
foreign state is immune
to responsibility over
illicit acts it may
commit in another
state's territory.
However, a court judge
in Rio de Janeiro
declared the case
"extinguished" due to
its "juridical
impossibility." The
Goularts appealed to a
federal court, which
considered that the
matter could only be
judged by the STJ.
|
|
