Brazil's justice minister has promised to open the country's archives dating back to the days of the military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.
"I am in favor of opening the archives," said Marcio Thomaz Bastos. But, he said, "This has to be done without causing fear or trauma."
Bastos insisted that the process would begin before the end of 2005, when the first term of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expires. "It's a decision the government is going to make on it own schedule," he said.
During the 21 years generals ruled South America's largest country, thousands were interrogated and hundreds went missing, believed to have been tortured or killed.
© Copyright 2004 by United Press International
