The political performance of elites in exile: Leonel Brizola in Uruguay and Portugal

• Autor(a) principal: Marques, Teresa Cristina Schneider
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Estudos Ibero-Americanos
• Texto Completo: https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/index.php/iberoamericana/article/view/28661
• topic: exile; Leonel Brizola; action repertoire.; exilio; Leonel Brizola; repertorios de acción.; exílio; Leonel Brizola; repertórios de ação.

Leonel Brizola, a prominent “trabalhista” politician, was part of the first generation of refugees exiled by the military dictatorship that took command of the country in 1964. Viewed as one of the most important enemies of the authoritarian regime, Brizola was forced to exile for 15 years. During this period, he lived in two countries: Uruguay between 1964 and 1978 and Portugal in 1978 and 1979. Unlike what is stipulated by the international legislation on asylum and refuge, and what the military expected, Brizola acted politically in these two countries. However, historical records of his political activity indicate relevant transformations in regards to repertoires of action after each one of his migrations. Hence, while there are historical sources of adherence to the armed strategies in Uruguay, Brizola committed himself to act politically through the traditional channels in Portugal to initiate the resurgence of the Brazilian Labor Party (PTB). Based on a historical process analysis, this article aims to understand the relation of these transformations to the metamorphosis of the structure of political opportunities imposed by exile. To do so, it analyzes a variety of documents – interviews with Brazilian exiles and Uruguayan politicians who welcomed Leonel Brizola in exile, periodicals, and diplomatic documentation open for research. Thus, we hope to present a contribution to the understanding of Brizola's trajectory and to = exile as a political space, as well as its specificities for members of political elites.