“Is the Version More Important Than the Fact?”

Critical Discourse Analysis of the “Presentation” Text in the Collection 1964 - 31 de Março: The Revolutionary Movement and Its History

Abstract

The relativization and denial of the Brazilian dictatorial period have become increasingly present in society, even in the face of historical scientific evidence. These discourses are attractive not for filling historical gaps, but for aligning with clear political and ideological objectives. This study aims to detect manifestations of denialism in the "Presentation" text of the XV volumes of the collection 1964 - March 31: the revolutionary movement and its history, published by BibliEx between 2003 and 2004. With 257 interviews of military personnel and civilians involved in the military government, the collection presents a narrative aligned with the Armed Forces. The study employs Norman Fairclough's (2016) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to investigate how these discourses relate to social, political, and ideological contexts, revealing discursive strategies that promote denialism. It is observed that, despite the expansion of critical studies on the period, the denialist narrative persists, updating the form and the Manichaeism established since the dictatorial period.