“SEGURANÇA NACIONAL É OBRA DE CIVIS”: OS DEBATES SOBRE A FUNÇÃO CONSTITUCIONAL DAS FORÇAS ARMADAS NO PROCESSO CONSTITUINTE DE 1987-1988

Abstract

The present work aims to analyze the asymmetry of relations between military and civilians in the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) of 1987-1988, especially in the discussions of the Subcommittee on the Defense of the State, Society and its Security. Furthermore, it aimed to understand the influence of the military within the scope of the ANC since, even though it was a period of democratic reconstruction, the military remained at the decision-making core of political power. Therefore, the work intended, in detail, to understand the clash zones between military and civilians in the ANC from the perspective of a new democratic order. Therefore, it identified the Brazilian Army and the Higher School as leading institutions that advocate the protection of national security by the Armed Forces and not by the civil power, thus interfering in the constituent process. Methodologically, a qualitative approach was used based on the analysis of primary sources such as the Constituent Assembly Minutes and period newspapers, and secondary sources, based on a bibliographical review of works that contextualize the historical moment. The work, when analyzing the conflicts between military and civilians in the ANC, realizes that the former emerged victorious over the latter, since military interests stood out. Finally, it is clear from the work that the actions of the military and its institutions in the ANC were contradictory to the democratic regime that was being created.