The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) held yesterday a ceremony to deliver posthumous diplomas to 25 people - 22 students and 2 professors - who were killed or went missing during the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964-1985). The ceremony sought to repay a historical debt to these members of the academic community.
The victims were university students and professors who stood up in defense of democracy during the dictatorial period. According to the article, many of them had their dreams interrupted by repression, failing to become professionals such as philosophers, artists, physicists, lawyers, pharmacists, architects, economists, chemists, biologists, sociologists and engineers.
The diplomas were delivered to the families of the dead and missing. The rector of UFRJ, Roberto Medronho, was present at the ceremony, symbolically delivering at least one of the diplomas. The event brought together the dimensions of memory, recognition and reparation, as highlighted in the article.
