A direita estudantil universitária no Rio Grande do Sul : entre a democracia e a ditadura (1961-1968)

Abstract

This work investigates the organization, position and actions of right-wing university students in Rio Grande do Sul between 1961 and 1968. It aims to comprehend the formation of opposition groups to the União Nacional de Estudantes and the government of João Goulart in the period of the political polarization that precedes the 1964’s Coup. During this period, the emergence of the Movimento Democrático Universitário and the action of the Federação dos Estudantes Universitários Particulares stands out. In addition, this work observes the relationship with other anti-communist groups in Rio Grande do Sul, whose main articulation ocurred trought the courses called “Educando para a Democracia”. It also evaluates the impacts of the Coup and the consolidation of the Civil-Military Dictatorship on these right-wing students. Initially, they benefited by taking student associations under intervention as delegates. In a process of expansion and consolidation, they won two direct elections to the Diretório Estadual de Estudantes and created movements such as the Decisão, an attempt to bring together students with the same political line. However, other legal initiatives, such as the Decreto Aragão, added to the Dictatorship's inability to respond to student yearnings, have led to an increasing tension since 1967. The sources used in the work were the news published by newspapers at that time, the documents produced by the student organizations and interviews with former student activists.