🇧🇷 Carol de Toni’s Call for Amnesty: A Fight for Justice or Political Reckoning?
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Amsterdam, September 22nd, 2025 – In the heart of Brazil’s political storm, Congresswoman Caroline de Toni (PL-SC) has emerged as one of the most vocal advocates for a full and unconditional amnesty for those involved in the January 8th, 2023 protests in Brasília. As the president of the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ), de Toni has pushed forward legislation that seeks to absolve not only the demonstrators but also organizers, financiers, and even those who expressed support online.
Her argument is rooted in a deep sense of injustice. “This is an opportunity to restore the rights of those who were unjustly persecuted,” she stated, referring to the harsh sentences handed down by the Supreme Federal Court (STF), including the 17-year prison term for Deborah, a hairdresser who spray-painted “Perdeu, Mané” on the statue of Justice. For de Toni, such punishments are not only disproportionate—they are politically motivated.
But her critique goes further. She accuses left-wing politicians of hypocrisy, pointing to the 1979 Amnesty Law that absolved crimes committed during Brazil’s military dictatorship. “Many of those who now oppose amnesty were themselves beneficiaries of a much broader and more forgiving law,” she argues. That law covered acts such as armed robbery, kidnapping, and even murder—crimes far more severe than vandalism or unauthorized protest.
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🕰️ A Look Back: The 1979 Amnesty and Its Beneficiaries
The 1979 Amnesty Law was a pivotal moment in Brazil’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. It granted clemency to both military officials and leftist militants, many of whom had engaged in armed resistance. Among those who benefited were future political leaders, including Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff.
While Lula was not directly involved in armed struggle, he was a prominent union leader during a time of intense political repression. Dilma Rousseff, on the other hand, was a member of the VAR-Palmares, a Marxist guerrilla group that engaged in bank robberies and other violent acts to fund resistance efforts. She was arrested in 1970 and spent nearly three years in prison, where she was reportedly tortured.
These historical facts are not meant to vilify, but to contextualize. De Toni’s point is clear: if Brazil could forgive acts of armed insurrection in the name of reconciliation, why not extend the same grace to those who protested—however misguidedly—on January 8th?
⚖️ The Debate Continues
The amnesty proposal remains deeply divisive. President Lula has publicly opposed it, calling for mobilization against what he sees as a threat to democratic accountability. Meanwhile, the STF maintains that any decision on amnesty must align with constitutional principles.
As the debate rages on, Caroline de Toni’s stance forces Brazil to confront uncomfortable questions about justice, memory, and political bias. Is amnesty a tool for healing, or a shield for impunity? And who gets to decide?
Sources:
- Carol de Toni coloca em pauta na CCJ projeto que anistia golpistas do 8 de Janeiro | Revista Fórum
- Carol de Toni volta a pautar na CCJ a anistia aos envolvidos no 8/1 | Metrópoles