Public information: control, secret and right of access

Abstract

Recently, in November 2011, it was published the law on access to public information, legal and historic mark in the struggle for human rights in Brazil. This achievement is the result of a process marked by denial of access to public archives, as it was the case of the Araguaia Guerrilla, valuing the culture of secrecy, abuse of power and relations between public and private in Brazil. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present a brief history about the control of access to public information in an attempt to understand the political position of Brazil in the contemporary context with regard to human rights generally, and access to government information, specific way. To discuss these issues, beyond the historical focus, it will be observed the notions of public, private and secret factors that constitute the concept of public information, to try to understand why the information produced by the state is constantly subject to controls. This article concludes that in addition to achievement the legitimacy of access to public information must also occur to fight for the right to a public information policy which facilitates the structuring of spaces and services that give to society the right to know and to appropriate of their own history.