Brazilian government apologises to the daughter and sons of Miguel Sabat Nuet, killed by the Military Dictatorship
The mortal remains of Sabat Nuet were restored to the family during a session of FLACSO’s Human Rights, Justice and Memory series
On October, 30th, 1973 Miguel Sabat Nuet, a 50-year-old Catalan died in the Brazil’s Department of Political and Social Order (DOPS, by its acronym in Portuguese) headquarters. He lived in Venezuela and was arrested by the military while he was waiting for a connection flight in Brazil. His family never heard of him again, until in 2008, his body was exhumed from a cemetery in the city of São Paulo and identified. Almost 40 years after his disappearance, it was confirmed that Sabat Nuet was a “victim of torture, kidnapping and homicide” by orders of the Brazilian Military Dictatorship.
On the last December, 12, as part of the debates series called Human Rights, Justice and Memory, the Latin-American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO, for its acronym in Spanish), allied with the Brazil’s Human Rights Secretary, held a special session in which the Brazilian government restored Miguel Sabat Nuet’s mortal remains and apologised in public to his daughter María del Carmem, and sons Lorenzo and Miguel. The ceremony was assisted by Maria do Rosário Nunes, Brazil’s Minister of Human Rights, and the public attorney Eugênia Augusta Gonzaga, who shared information on the investigations held to identify Sabat Nuet and other victims of the Military Dictatorship.
“The past cannot be changed. Miguel Sabat Nuet’s children and grandchildren ask for justice, on our name and also on the names of the children and grandchildren of all the people who have disappeared. We are not only receiving the mortal remains, but reassessing part of our father’s history”, said María del Carmen.
The encounter, which discussed the importance of memory to build and strengthen democracy, was held in São Paulo, Brazil. Among the participants were also Estela Carlotto, president of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, Eric Nepomuceno, Brazilian journalist and writer, Daniel Filmus, former Minister of Education from Argentina and Senator, Emir Sader, Executive-Secretary of the Latin-American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO, by its acronym in English), Juan Cabandié, grandson found by the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and Deputy for the City of Buenos Aires, and Pablo Gentilli, Director of FLACSO-Brazil.
81-year-old Estela Carlotto remembered the story of her daughter Laura, killed by the Argentina’s Military Dictatorship and was held a party in her honour.
About the series. Human Rights, Justice and Memory is a initiative by Flacso with the support of several organisations. The debates approach central issues on human rights and take place on different Brazilian cities, from November, 2011 to March, 2012. CLADE collaborates to the activities and will take part on the debates to be held during the World Education Forum 2012, from January 24th-29th, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. For further information, visit FLACSO’s website: http://www.flacso.org.br/portal/ (in Portuguese).