Discurso, poder e política: a máscara da ditadura militar brasileira nos pronunciamentos de posse presidenciais

Abstract

Political speeches studies can be considered monotonous and without scientific relevance for some people. As we analyze pronouncements, we are studying our history, our life and our relationships with society. The analysis of political discourse instigates our critical and reflective thinking. From this perspective, this work aims to analyze the inaugural speeches of the former presidents of Brazil during the period of the Military Dictatorship as a way of contributing to current linguistic studies. We aim, therefore, to debate the concept of hope, which is strongly presented in these discursive structures, in the political field. In any social context, power and speech are fundamental tools for communicating, positioning someone and, above all, to influence other people. Therefore, studying the inaugural speech of former presidents is necessary to identify the ideological directions, forms of government and their management expectations. In addition, the important thing is to realize which ideological values are being conveyed in these political discourses. This study is based on Thompson (1990), Charaudeau (2008, 2015, 2016), Fiorin (1988), Orlandi (1993, 2020), Pêcheux (1995, 1997). We selected the inaugural speeches performed by the following former presidents Humberto de Alencar Castello Branco, Arthur da Costa e Silva, Emílio Garrastazu Médici, Ernesto Geisel and João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo, as they represent the 21 years of this sad and troubled chapter of Brazilian history. In the end, we realized that the notion of democracy, so emphasized, has a fundamental role, which is to cover up the structure of a period in our history marked by repression, persecution, torture and death, aligned with an argumentative tendency masked by a “rhetoric of hope”. In addition, during the analysis process, we noticed discursive and ideological trends of that period, which allowed us to understand the socio-historical situation of the country.