Photo raises further suspicions on Zuzu Angel’s death

A never-before-seen photograph showing the scene of the accident that killed Brazilian fashion designer Zuzu Angel in April 1976 has corroborated the suspicions harbored by the National Truth Commission (“CNV”) about the Armed Forces’ involvement in the case.

The picture, presented by Cláudio Guerra, former police commissioner from the Department of Political and Social Order (“Dops”) as he gave testimony to the CNV on Thursday (Jul 24), shows Army Colonel Freddie Perdigão in the background near the wrecked vehicle. The military man was a notorious perpetrator of torture and murders during Brazil’s period of military dictatorship. Perdigão died in the 90’s.

The fashion designer was the mother of Stuart Angel, a member of the October 8th Revolutionary Movement (“MR-8”), who disappeared in 1971 after both were arrested by agents from repression forces. Other prisoners reported he was tortured and killed in the premises of the Galeão Air Base. Taking advantage of her prestige as a famous fashion designer and the fact that her son held US citizenship, Angel managed to bring international notoriety to the case after publicly questioning then State Secretary Henry Kissinger during her trip to Brazil. According to CNV President Pedro Dallari, that was the moment after which she was considered “a bothersome presence for the regime, for whom her disappearance would be rather convenient.”

Dallari says that the picture “could not be found in the case records, and is a very important revelation and document”, making it clear that there was some sort of involvement by military forces in the accident that took place in Rio de Janeiro, since “Armed Forces Official Freddie Perdigão appears near the wrecked vehicle. This shows a very strong link between the Armed Forces, since Perdião was a notorious perpetrator of human rights violations,” said Dallari. The CNV chairman further reported that the place shown in the picture and the one seen in the photos taken by experts at the time of the accident are the same location.

Dallari also believes Perdião admitted to Cláudio Guerra his participation in the planning and simulation of the accident that killed Zuzu Angel. “The investigations certainly corroborate this hypothesis,” he added.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira