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Viewing cable 06SAOPAULO215, LEADER OF THE 1992 CARANDIRU PRISON MASSACRE ACQUITTED OF

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06SAOPAULO215 2006-02-24 23:07 2011-07-11 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Sao Paulo
VZCZCXRO8609
PP RUEHRG
DE RUEHSO #0215/01 0552307
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 242307Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4572
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5722
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 2720
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6845
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 2050
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 2405
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 1822
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1567
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 2590
RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAO PAULO 000215 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR CRONIN 
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/PD AND DRL/PHD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI BR
SUBJECT:  LEADER OF THE 1992 CARANDIRU PRISON MASSACRE ACQUITTED OF 
CRIME 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  On February 15, Police Colonel Ubiratan 
Guimaraes was absolved of responsibility for the infamous 1992 
Carandiru prison massacre by a Special Session of the Sao Paulo 
State Court of Justice.  The Court overturned a 2001 grand jury 
sentence of 632 years in prison for Guimaraes.  The massacre, which 
left 111 prisoners dead, received extensive international attention. 
 The human rights community in Brazil expressed outrage at the 
decision.  End Summary. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
2.  (U) The Carandiru massacre is considered one of the most 
significant human rights violations in modern Brazilian history.  In 
October 1992, prisoners at the Carandiru facility in Sao Paulo, the 
largest penitentiary in Latin America at the time, staged a 
rebellion.  State military police (uniformed state police), led by 
Colonel Ubiratan Guimaraes, quelled the riot, leaving over 100 dead. 
 Ballistic examinations indicated that the prisoners were shot at 
close range, in some cases by machine gun fire to the head and 
thorax.  Ballistic tests indicated that only 26 of the dead were 
found outside their cells.  Survivors of the massacre stated that 
police killed prisoners even after surrender or while they were 
attempting to hide in their cells.  Investigations also indicated 
that immediately after the massacre, military policemen altered the 
crime scene, destroying valuable evidence that could have led to 
their conviction.  Guimaraes claimed that he had followed orders, 
and that his men had acted in self-defense.  At the time, the event 
received extensive attention from the international community, which 
expressed outrage at the human rights violation.  In 2001, Guimaraes 
was sentenced to 632 years in prison after the 2nd "Jury Court" in 
Sao Paulo ruled that he had overstepped his authority.  No other 
government official, prison authority or police officer has been 
held accountable.  The prison was demolished in 2002.  In 2003, the 
incident was featured in the film, "Carandiru." 
 
ANNULMENT 
--------- 
 
3.  (U) More than four years after receiving his conviction and 
sentence, Colonel Guimaraes was absolved of responsibility for the 
over 100 deaths.  On Feburary 15, the justices of the Sao Paulo 
State Court of Justice voted 20-2 to annul the conviction and 
sentence and stated that Guimaraes had acted within his duty.  The 
justices overturned the 2001 verdict based on a belief that that 
decision, interpreted at the time by Judge Maria Cristina Cotrofe 
Biasi, did not represent the intent of the 2001 jury.  (NOTE: In 
Brazil, the judge is a member of the jury and its president.  The 
other jury members, who have no legal training, are asked a number 
of questions formulated by the judge, and, based on the jury's 
responses, the judge condemns or exonerates the defendant.  The 
judge, therefore, interprets the "will" of the jury.  In this case, 
Guimaraes' lawyer, Vicente Cascione, alleged that the responses of 
the jury were contradictory because it claimed that Guimaraes acted 
intentionally in some cases and unintentionally in others.  Under 
the Brazilian legal code, "unintentional" murder may not be judged 
by a jury.  The 2006 trial reinterpreted the jury's responses and 
acquitted Guimaraes on the basis of the new interpretation.  END 
NOTE) Guimaraes, now a Sao Paulo state legislator, has not served 
prison time for the massacre.  An additional 84 military policemen 
involved in the 1992 massacre are still awaiting trial in the case. 
 
OUTRAGE AT IMPUNITY 
------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU) A number of Brazilian human rights organizations and 
community leaders expressed outrage at the February 15 high court 
finding.  The NGO Christian Association for the Abolition of Torture 
and former Human Rights Secretary Nilmario Miranda stated that the 
decision was a "shame" on Brazil.  Sandra Carvalho, of the NGO 
Global Justice, stated that the decision will give license to 
summary executions by police.  Likewise, Ariel de Castro Alves, of 
the National Human Rights Movement, reportedly fears that the 
decision will give "license to immunity" and will set a dangerous 
precedent.  Brazilian NGOs protested in front of the High Court in 
Sao Paulo on February 20 and will submit a complaint regarding the 
annulment of the 2001 decision to the Inter-American Commission on 
Human Rights (IACHR).  Federal Deputy Mario Heringer (PDT-MG), a 
 
SAO PAULO 00000215  002 OF 002 
 
 
member of the Chamber of Deputies' Commission on Human Rights, 
believes that the high court's decision was "unacceptable" and will 
reportedly request that the case be passed to the federal 
authorities for review.  Judge Biasi, the original trial judge, is 
reported to have expressed outrage at the decision: "The decision of 
the high justices is ...a shame.  Shame on the High Court.  I am 
perplexed."  Interviewed jury members from the 2001 trial reportedly 
stated that the sentence rendered by Judge Biasi reflected their 
will. 
 
5. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Brasilia. 
 
MCMULLEN