Marcos Arruda remembers the first time he engaged in political action; he also remembers the argument that followed in his more conservative-leaning home. His urge to engage politically was now a part of him and one that would sustain his resistance against oppression in Brazil and the United States.

Originally a student of classics at a Jesuit university in Rio de Janeiro, Marcos decided to transfer to geology. And it was through this particular subject matter and becoming a member of a group called JUC (Juventude Universitária Católica) that Marcos would be inspired to merge his religious upbringing with a commitment to social justice.

It was with JUC that Marcos went to his first political protest. After President Jânio Quadros resigned on August 25, 1961, students mobilized in response to growing debates over whether João Goulart, the democratically elected president, should be allowed to take power or not. It was a protest in favor of his ascension, a protest to support the Brazilian Constitution and more so, democracy in Brazil.

Marcos was arrested in 1970, interrogated on erroneous charges, and brutally tortured by officers while in custody. His mother’s journey for justice while Marcos was held in Brazil has been beautifully crafted in the book, A Mother’s Cry.

After being released from prison, he moved to the United States, where he founded the Committee Against Repression in Brazil and was involved in campaigns throughout the United States to denounce the military regime.

Marcos has spent time at Brown University as a visiting professor, and in 2005 engaged in a highly attended debate on neoliberal economic policy in Brazil with the former president (also a visiting professor at Brown), Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

Click here to read an interview (in Portuguese) with Marcos Arruda and James Green.

Click here to read Marcos’ letter about his experience.

Document from the Department of Justice on Marcos Arruda. Click on the image to read more.