RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – “Deus, patria e família,” (“God, country and family”) is the motto of the Frente Integralista Brasileira, a modern reincarnation of the Integralist movement founded by writer Plínio Salgado in 1932.
Known as FIB, at the beginning of November the right-wing group realized its first public manifestation wearing its traditional green shirts from the ‘30s, though they chose not to reintroduce the black tie that was once part of the uniform.
The gathering in São Paulo was tiny, with only 15 people appearing, and occurred early in the morning to avoid potential confrontations (a previous assembly had to be cancelled after details were leaked). Nonetheless, the movement wishes to participate in municipal elections next year.
Following increased media attention over the last week, FIB has published a long statement correcting what it sees as inaccuracies in the press.
The organization claims that its ideology is not inspired by fascism, although it is accepted by historians that its founder Plínio Salgado was indeed highly impressed by Mussolini on a visit to Italy in 1930 and this was a major reason for his founding of the first Brazilian Integralist movement (Ação Integralista Brasileira) two years later.
It is also generally accepted that the various political movements from the ‘30s that preached nationalism, made salutes, and had monochrome shirts as part of a uniform, were not similar to each other, and to Mussolini’s fascist regime, by mere coincidence.
The group also denies charges that Integralism is anti-Semitic – and correctly point out that Salgado was indeed opposed all racism − and yet one of its most prominent members in the ‘30s, Gustavo Barroso, was a notorious anti-Semite who wrote books about plots by Jewish bankers to control the world.
All this is not to say that FIB wishes to install a totalitarian dictatorship in Brazil, nor that they are anti-Semites or racists. They may or may not be.
However, the origin and inspiration of the Integralist movement are indisputable, and attempts by the group to deny this is patently dishonest and a distortion of history. And one must wonder why if the group is so intent on not being associated with fascism, they do not simply ditch the fascist paraphernalia and operate like a normal, conservative political movement.
Posts on their Facebook page, such as one praising Portuguese dictator Salazar, also contribute to the “hate based […] on ignorance” that members of the movement feel they suffer.
FIB is the latest in a series of neo-Integralist groups, and was founded in 2005. It is headed by Victor Barbuy, a lawyer from São Paulo, and has as honorary vice-president a 95-year-old who first participated in the movement when he was 8 years of age.
In 2017, Victor Barbuy was prevented from speaking at São Paulo University (USP) after a protest by students that left two people injured. The last time a count was made, six years ago, FIB apparently had 8,000 members and say they have grown since, helped by the increased popularity of the right.
Next year there is likely to be a big march to celebrate the 125 anniversary of founder Plínio Salgado’s birth (1895-1975). In addition, FIB wishes to launch candidates in the municipal elections in various cities.
They hope to run with the help of the established conservative parties PRTB and Patriota. Whether the FIB will remain a nostalgia act or actually have some political effect remains in doubt, but their political heritage does not.