Ebook: For the Liberation of Brazil

Carlos Marighela was an orthodox and leading Communist in São Paulo until 1967, when he attended the conference of the Organization for Latin American Solidarity (OLAS) against his party's wishes. In 1968 he and Mario Alves set up their own pro-Cuban Revolutionary Communist Party of Brazil. In the same year he launched Action fat National Liberation (ALN), a series of armed uprisings against the forces of fascist repression in Brazil. In his letters and pamphlets Marighela emphasized the importance of adapting the strategy of the foco, pioneered by Guevara and Debray in the countryside, for use in the towns. By 1969 revolutionary bandits had taken £400,000 from the banks of Rio and São Paulo alone, and had gained widespread support from many sections of the population. After the kidnapping of the United States ambassador had succeeded in securing the release of fifteen rebel prisoners, the military junta resorted to terror and torture in double measure. On 4 November 1969 Marighela was shot dead by police.