DOI-CODI
Encyclopedia
The Destacamento de Operações de Informações - Centro de Operações de Defesa Interna (Department of Information Operations - Center for Internal Defense Operations) was the Brazilian intelligence and repression agency during the military government (1964–1985). This period started on March 31, 1964 with the removal of the civilian government by military forces and ended in the 1984. DOI-CODI was responsible for suppressing internal dissent against the regime. It acted as a political police, using torture
and other counter-insurgency
methods, with a focus on anti-communism
. Several political activists, intellectuals, artists, college students and journalists were interrogated and at times tortured by the DOI-CODI throughout its existence against clandestine forces and guerrilla groups.
The first DOI unit started in São Paulo
as a private organization called "OBAN - Bandeirant Operation" (Operação Bandeirante - OBAN) OBAN was an illegal organization created using members of the federal police, civil state polices, militar state polices and select members of the armed forces. It was financed by private and corporate entities.
Each state had a DOI Unit subordinated to CODI, which had the role of centralizing the operations. The DOI units' composition mirrored that of the previous OBAN.
The largest DOI-CODI, that of São Paulo, had at its peak nearly 250 agents, occupying a large building on Tutóia street. The building gained the infamous nickname of "Tutóia Hilton" (after the Hanoi Hilton
of Vietnam) due to the extensive torture which took place in its basement.
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and other counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
methods, with a focus on anti-communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Several political activists, intellectuals, artists, college students and journalists were interrogated and at times tortured by the DOI-CODI throughout its existence against clandestine forces and guerrilla groups.
The first DOI unit started in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
as a private organization called "OBAN - Bandeirant Operation" (Operação Bandeirante - OBAN) OBAN was an illegal organization created using members of the federal police, civil state polices, militar state polices and select members of the armed forces. It was financed by private and corporate entities.
Each state had a DOI Unit subordinated to CODI, which had the role of centralizing the operations. The DOI units' composition mirrored that of the previous OBAN.
The largest DOI-CODI, that of São Paulo, had at its peak nearly 250 agents, occupying a large building on Tutóia street. The building gained the infamous nickname of "Tutóia Hilton" (after the Hanoi Hilton
Hanoi Hilton
Hỏa Lò Prison, later sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War....
of Vietnam) due to the extensive torture which took place in its basement.
See also
- ABINAbinAbin may refer to:* Abin Sur, a fictional character* R. Abin I, Jewish Talmudist* R. Abin II, Jewish Talmudist* Jose ben Abin, Jewish Talmudist* Abin Naggara, Jewish Talmudist* Idi b. Abin Abin Naggara, Jewish Talmudist...
(Agência Brasileira de Inteligência) - Brazilian Intelligence Agency - SNINational Intelligence Service of BrazilThe Serviço Nacional de Informações, or SNI of Brazil was an intelligence agency formed by the Castelo Branco government in 1964. SNI was disbanded for a time and later resumed operations under the name Agência Brasileira de Inteligência.-History:Originally, the SNI was a civilian agency under the...
(Serviço Nacional de Informações) - National Information Service - DOPS (Departamento de Ordem Politica e Social) - Department of Social and Political Order
- Araguaya guerrilla (Guerrilha do Araguaia)
- 1975 assassination of Vladimir HerzogVladimir HerzogVladimir Herzog nicknamed Vlado, was a Brazilian journalist, university professor and playwright of Yugoslavian origin. He also developed a taste for photography, because of his film projects...