Associação Brasileira de Imprensa marks 50 years since 1976 bombing

The Associação Brasileira de Imprensa (ABI) marks the 50th anniversary of the terrorist bombing at its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. On August 19, 1976, an explosion occurred on the seventh floor of the ABI building, damaging offices, elevators, and nearby floors. While no injuries were reported, the attack caused significant material damage.

The paramilitary group known as the Aliança Anticomunista Brasileira (AAB) claimed responsibility for the attack, leaving a pamphlet that accused the association of being dominated by communists. The bombing took place during the military dictatorship's period of 'distensão'—a controlled political transition led by President Ernesto Geisel—but was met with resistance from hardline extremist sectors of the regime.

On the same day, a separate explosive device was placed at the headquarters of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (OAB) in Rio de Janeiro. The simultaneous targeting of the press and the legal profession highlighted the efforts of far-right extremists to suppress institutions that challenged the military government's authority and censorship.