Brazil's government has apologised to the families of victims of the country's military dictatorship whose remains may have been among those found in a secret mass grave 35 years ago.
Dozens of families are still waiting for information about whether their parents, children, siblings and friends are in one of more than 1,000 blue bags discovered in 1990 in a ditch in a Sao Paulo cemetery in the remote Perus region.
It was the first of many mass graves discovered by Brazilian authorities since the end of 21 years of military rule in 1985.
The secret grave in the Dom Bosco cemetery also contained the remains of several unidentified people who had no connection to the fight against the dictatorship in Brazil.
The formal apology, announced Monday, is part of an agreement between prosecutors, family members and the state.
The event took place on Right to Truth Day, which is also celebrated in other countries.
Human Rights Minister Macae Evaristo said the Brazilian state had been negligent in identifying the bags and remains found in Peru.
For nearly 25 years, the remains were stored at three public universities and laboratories outside Brazil, but only a few families were able to eventually identify their loved ones.
Ms Evaristo noted that the Brazilian government spends around R$200,000 (£26,860) each year to identify bags from Peru, but agreed that this was not enough to bring peace to the victims' families.
“What the Brazilian government is doing is continuing the process of investigation and accountability. We need to remember that our ministry was disbanded,” Ms. Evaristo said, referring to the 2019-22 presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, a champion of the country’s military dictatorship.
“Families have the right to the truth. Brazilian society has the right to the truth.”
The ceremony was attended by families who are unsure whether the remains of their loved ones are in a mass grave in Peru.
In 2005, Gilberto Molina, who represented their interests, finally succeeded in identifying the remains of his brother Flavio in one of the bags.
The Brazilian state only admitted responsibility for the crime in his brother's third death certificate in early 2019.
“This has been a funeral that has lasted almost 50 years. For some other families, it has lasted even longer,” Mr. Molina said. “I hope that every family here will continue to persevere in their quest for justice.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
