Historical Background: The Military Regime and Split in the Left

During the 1960s, Brazil experienced a military coup, which led to a dictatorship that lasted until 1985. The left-wing movement in Brazil was fractured during this time due to a split between those aligned with the USSR and those aligned with China. The split led to the formation of two communist parties: the Brazilian Communist Party and the Communist Party of Brazil. The military regime actively suppressed the left, dismantling unions, persecuting leaders, and illegalizing political parties. The period of dictatorship severely weakened the communist movement in Brazil, which struggled to recover in the 1990s amidst the rise of neoliberalism. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence of the communist movement, particularly with the founding of new Marxist parties and grassroots organizations such as the Popular Unity (UP) inspired by the Black Panther Party.