The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Incident

Brazil's military government decrees the Fifth Institutional Act and moves to control the press

BrazilRSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180

Engraving of an empty press briefing room with a lectern and rows of chairs

On the night of December 13, 1968, Brazil's military government, led by President Artur da Costa e Silva, decreed the Fifth Institutional Act, suspending constitutional guarantees and recessing the national Congress. A United States Embassy cable reported weeks later that officials planned to ease press restrictions gradually while keeping the threat of renewed controls and economic pressure over newspapers in reserve.123

What happened

On the night of December 13, 1968, Brazil's military government, led by President Artur da Costa e Silva, decreed the Fifth Institutional Act, known as AI-5. A United States Embassy cable described the decree as a self-issued license letting the executive govern without the trappings of democracy, noting it let the president recess the national Congress, state assemblies and municipal chambers, intervene in states and municipalities without constitutional restraint, and suspend any citizen's political rights for ten years. A State Department cable reported that the crisis leading to the decree began with a floor speech by opposition deputy Marcio Moreira Alves that the military considered insulting to the army. In the weeks after AI-5, the United States Embassy in Rio de Janeiro reported that Brazilian officials planned to ease press restrictions gradually, encouraging newspapers toward self-restraint while holding the threat of renewed controls and economic pressure in reserve, since most newspapers depended on government-supplied newsprint. The embassy assessed that a full restoration of press freedom would be a long process.12345678

What reason was given

Stated justification

A State Department cable reported that the crisis leading to the decree began with a floor speech by opposition deputy Marcio Moreira Alves that the military considered insulting to the army.4

What changed for reporting

The United States Embassy in Rio de Janeiro reported that the government planned to ease press restrictions gradually, encouraging self-restraint while holding the threat of renewed controls and economic pressure in reserve, since most newspapers depended on government-supplied newsprint.56

Timeline

1968

13 December 1968
Brazil's military government decrees the Fifth Institutional Act and moves to control the press

Who acted

NameRole in this incidentOffice at the time
Artur da Costa e SilvaorderedPresident of Brazil

Sources

  1. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 236Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-14, primary. Source record
  2. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 240Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-20, primary. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. The United States Embassy in Rio de Janeiro sent a cable on December 14, 1968, assessing the Fifth Institutional Act decreed the night before.Rio de Janeiro , December 14, 1968, 1625Z .Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 236, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-14.Claim 847, checked 2026-09-26.
  2. The United States Embassy said the Institutional Act decreed on the night of December 13, 1968 amounted to a self-issued license letting the executive govern without the trappings of democracy.Institutional act decreed last night amounts to a self-issued license authorizing executive to govern without trappings or inconveniences of democracy.Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 236, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-14.Claim 848, checked 2026-09-26.
  3. The Fifth Institutional Act let the president recess the national Congress, state assemblies and municipal chambers, intervene in states and municipalities without constitutional restraint, and suspend any citizen's political rights for ten years.The act allowed the President to recess the congress, state assemblies, and municipal chambers; to intervene in the states and municipalities without constitutional restraint; to suspend the political rights of any citizen for ten yearsForeign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 236, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-14.Claim 849, checked 2026-09-26.
  4. A State Department cable said the crisis that led to the Fifth Institutional Act began with a speech by opposition deputy Marcio Moreira Alves on the floor of Congress that the military considered insulting to the army.Current crisis had its precise beginnings in a speech by opposition deputy Moreira Alves on floor of Congress which was insulting to army.Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 236, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-14.Claim 850, checked 2026-09-26.
  5. The United States Embassy reported that government sources said the plan was to ease press restrictions on newspapers gradually, with suggestions of self-restraint already made to editors.Various government sources tell us plan is to ease censorship gradually. Suggestions of self-censorship have already been made.Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 240, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-20.Claim 851, checked 2026-09-26.
  6. The embassy reported that control over the press would be maintained through the threat of renewed restrictions and economic measures, since most Brazilian newspapers were in debt to the government, which held a monopoly on newsprint.by threats of renewed censorship and economic measures (most newspapers are in debt to GOB which has newsprint monopoly).Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 240, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-20.Claim 852, checked 2026-09-26.
  7. Artur da Costa e Silva remained president of Brazil after the Fifth Institutional Act was decreed, though his freedom of action was limited.Costa e Silva still President of Brazil.Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 240, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-20.Claim 853, checked 2026-09-26.
  8. The United States Embassy assessed that restoring press freedom in Brazil would be a long process.we view restoration of press freedom as a long term process.Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXXI, Document 240, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, 1968-12-20.Claim 854, checked 2026-09-26.