Revolutionary Movement 8th October
Encyclopedia
The Revolutionary Movement 8th October (in Portuguese
: Movimento Revolucionário 8 de Outubro, (MR8)) is a Brazil
ian political movement, formerly an urban guerrilla
group. During the military dictatorship
in Brazil, the MR8 was formed by Brazilian Communist Party
members who disagreed with the party's decision not to take part in the armed resistance against the military government - the so called Dissidência da Guanabara (DI-GB). The name Movimento Revolucionário 8 de Outubro was taken from another organization, which had been recently destroyed by police repression: as the dictatorship's propaganda boasted about police efficiency in the suppression of "terrorists", the DI-GB started taking actions under the same name, as a way to demoralize the regime. The new organization defined itself as Marxist-Leninist. MR8 was the main force behind the kidnapping of American
ambassador
Charles Burke Elbrick
in 1969, the basis of the film Four Days in September
.
In the late 1970s, the MR8 conducted a thorough auto-criticism for their participation in the armed resistance against the dictatorship. Under the leadership of Daniel Terra, it defined the struggle for "democratic liberties" as the main task for the Brazilian left. As such, it became active inside the MDB
, the party of the "allowed opposition", under the leadership of Orestes Quércia
. It had an important role in the reawakening of the students' movement in 1976-77.
However, in 1978, the MR-8 again shifted its policies. It came to believe that the "national issue" was more important than the "democratic issue"; while it never abandoned the struggle against the dictatorship, it became increasingly aggressive against other leftist tendencies, particularly the Trotskyists, which were frequently seen as anti-national and supportive of "petty-bourgeois issues" like feminism, environmentalism, gay rights, etc. During this phase, the MR-8 became increasingly isolated within the left, prompting alliances among most other tendencies against their provocative actions.
While they had played an important role in the students' movement in 1977, when the working class and unionist movement came again into political play in 1978, MR8's role was at the best marginal, and frequently negative. At that point, they developed an intense political enmity towards the unionist leadership of the ABC Region
, which later gave birth to the Workers' Party
. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
and other leaders of the party, and its union branch CUT
, were described as "social-democrats", "yellow unionists", "imperialist agents", and accused of dividing the opposition against the dictatorship - i.e. the MDB.
With the end of the dictatorship, they were the only significant part of the Brazilian left to remain within the PMDB, the continuation of the MDB. Most other tendencies joined the Workers' Party, while the Brazilian Communist Party
and the Communist Party of Brazil
re-launched themselves as independent political parties. As such, the MR8 is a bit of an oddity in Brazilian politics: while it considers itself "Marxist-Leninist", it is not organized under democratic centralism
, and it operates within a bourgeois centre-to-left political party, in direct contradiction with Marxist-Leninist tenets of independence from bourgeois organizations.
MR8 maintained a high international profile, and developed close relations with the government of Saddam Hussein
in Iraq
.
In the late 1990s, MR8 somewhat softened its violent opposition to the other leftist tendencies, and became a more common-sense socialist group, even supporting Lula's run for presidency in 2002 and his government, while at the same time increasing its nationalist streak.
MR8 publishes a twice-weekly newspaper titled Hora do Povo.
, Carlos Lamarca
, Stuart Angel
, Franklin Martins
and Dilma Rousseff
.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Movimento Revolucionário 8 de Outubro, (MR8)) is a Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian political movement, formerly an urban guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
group. During the military dictatorship
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
in Brazil, the MR8 was formed by Brazilian Communist Party
Brazilian Communist Party
Brazilian Communist Party is the oldest political party still active in Brazil, founded in 1922, and one of the only Brazilian parties with a Stalinist orientation...
members who disagreed with the party's decision not to take part in the armed resistance against the military government - the so called Dissidência da Guanabara (DI-GB). The name Movimento Revolucionário 8 de Outubro was taken from another organization, which had been recently destroyed by police repression: as the dictatorship's propaganda boasted about police efficiency in the suppression of "terrorists", the DI-GB started taking actions under the same name, as a way to demoralize the regime. The new organization defined itself as Marxist-Leninist. MR8 was the main force behind the kidnapping of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Charles Burke Elbrick
Charles Burke Elbrick
Charles Burke Elbrick, , was a United States diplomat and career foreign service officer. During his career, he served three ambassadorships in various parts of the world, in addition to many other minor postings.Elbrick was the son of Charles Elbrick and his Irish wife, Lillian Burke...
in 1969, the basis of the film Four Days in September
Four Days in September
Four Days in September is a 1997 Brazilian thriller film directed by Bruno Barreto and produced by his parents Lucy and Luiz Carlos Barreto. The film is based on the 1979 memoir "O Que É Isso Companheiro?" written by politician Fernando Gabeira...
.
In the late 1970s, the MR8 conducted a thorough auto-criticism for their participation in the armed resistance against the dictatorship. Under the leadership of Daniel Terra, it defined the struggle for "democratic liberties" as the main task for the Brazilian left. As such, it became active inside the MDB
Brazilian Democratic Movement
The Brazilian Democratic Movement was a political party in Brazil that existed from 1965 to 1979. It was formed in 1965, when the military government that overthrew President João Goulart abolished all existing political parties...
, the party of the "allowed opposition", under the leadership of Orestes Quércia
Orestes Quércia
Orestes Quércia was a Brazilian politician. He was the 28th governor of São Paulo State.When young Orestes Quércia moved with his family from Pedregulho to Campinas, where he graduated in journalism...
. It had an important role in the reawakening of the students' movement in 1976-77.
However, in 1978, the MR-8 again shifted its policies. It came to believe that the "national issue" was more important than the "democratic issue"; while it never abandoned the struggle against the dictatorship, it became increasingly aggressive against other leftist tendencies, particularly the Trotskyists, which were frequently seen as anti-national and supportive of "petty-bourgeois issues" like feminism, environmentalism, gay rights, etc. During this phase, the MR-8 became increasingly isolated within the left, prompting alliances among most other tendencies against their provocative actions.
While they had played an important role in the students' movement in 1977, when the working class and unionist movement came again into political play in 1978, MR8's role was at the best marginal, and frequently negative. At that point, they developed an intense political enmity towards the unionist leadership of the ABC Region
ABC Region
The term ABC Region is an industrial region in Greater São Paulo, Brazil.The name refers to three smaller cities bordering on São Paulo, capital of the Brazilian state of the same name. Originally, these three cities were Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, and São Caetano do Sul...
, which later gave birth to the Workers' Party
Workers' Party (Brazil)
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist political party in Brazil. Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003...
. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
and other leaders of the party, and its union branch CUT
Central Única dos Trabalhadores
-See also:*Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores*Força Sindical-External links:...
, were described as "social-democrats", "yellow unionists", "imperialist agents", and accused of dividing the opposition against the dictatorship - i.e. the MDB.
With the end of the dictatorship, they were the only significant part of the Brazilian left to remain within the PMDB, the continuation of the MDB. Most other tendencies joined the Workers' Party, while the Brazilian Communist Party
Brazilian Communist Party
Brazilian Communist Party is the oldest political party still active in Brazil, founded in 1922, and one of the only Brazilian parties with a Stalinist orientation...
and the Communist Party of Brazil
Communist Party of Brazil
The Communist Party of Brazil is a political party in Brazil. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and students movements. PCdoB dispute with the Brazilian Communist Party the title of "oldest political party in Brazil"...
re-launched themselves as independent political parties. As such, the MR8 is a bit of an oddity in Brazilian politics: while it considers itself "Marxist-Leninist", it is not organized under democratic centralism
Democratic centralism
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party...
, and it operates within a bourgeois centre-to-left political party, in direct contradiction with Marxist-Leninist tenets of independence from bourgeois organizations.
MR8 maintained a high international profile, and developed close relations with the government of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
In the late 1990s, MR8 somewhat softened its violent opposition to the other leftist tendencies, and became a more common-sense socialist group, even supporting Lula's run for presidency in 2002 and his government, while at the same time increasing its nationalist streak.
MR8 publishes a twice-weekly newspaper titled Hora do Povo.
Famous Members
Famous MR8 members in the past include Fernando GabeiraFernando Gabeira
Fernando Paulo Nagle Gabeira is a Brazilian politician, author and journalist. He has been a federal deputy for the State of Rio de Janeiro since 1995....
, Carlos Lamarca
Carlos Lamarca
Carlos Lamarca was a Brazilian Army Captain who deserted to become a communist guerilla member. He was a part of the revolutionary guerrilla group Popular Revolutionary Vanguard and became, along with Carlos Marighella, one of the major elements of communist subversion in Brazil...
, Stuart Angel
Stuart Angel
Stuart Edgar Angel Jones was an American Brazilian guerrilla fighter captured, tortured and killed by officers of the Brazilian military dictatorship.-Biography:...
, Franklin Martins
Franklin Martins
Franklin de Sousa Martins is a Brazilian journalist, currently serving as Press Secretary for the government of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil....
and Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
.