Luiz Felipe de Alencastro is the new president of the Arns Commission

The Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns Commission for the Defense of Human Rights (Arns Commission) has unanimously elected historian Luiz Felipe de Alencastro as its new president. He will serve a term from July 15, 2026, through February 28, 2029. The election took place during a General Assembly following the resignation of Professor Maria Victoria Benevides, who had led the organization since 2024.

Founded in 2019, the Arns Commission brings together prominent members of civil society with recognized records of engagement in the defense of human rights and the democratic rule of law. Inspired by the legacy of Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, the organization monitors and denounces human rights violations, issues public statements, and engages with institutions to defend constitutional guarantees.

Alencastro graduated from the Institut d’Études Politiques at Aix-Marseille University and holds a PhD in Modern and Contemporary History from Université Paris Nanterre. He is a member of the Centre Roland Mousnier at Sorbonne Université, where he was a full professor of Brazilian and South Atlantic History from 1999 to 2014. He is also a member of the Archaeology and History Section of the Academia Europaea.

A leading scholar of Brazilian history, slavery, and the South Atlantic, Alencastro taught at the French universities of Rouen and Paris-Vincennes from 1974 to 1986. He later became a senior lecturer and associate professor at the Institute of Economics of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and a researcher at the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (Cebrap) from 1986 to 1999. From 2014 to 2026, he was a professor at the São Paulo School of Economics of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV).

The vice presidency will remain with psychologist Cida Bento, who holds a PhD from the University of São Paulo (USP) and is one of Brazil’s leading researchers on race relations and whiteness. Founder of the Center for the Study of Labor Relations and Inequalities (Ceert), Bento is nationally and internationally recognized for her work in human rights and racial equality.

Under the Commission’s bylaws, Alencastro will also serve as executive director, remaining responsible for the organization’s judicial and extrajudicial representation.

During the assembly, members of the Commission thanked Maria Victoria Benevides for her work at the helm of the organization, highlighting her leadership and contribution to strengthening the defense of human rights in Brazil. Benevides will remain a member of the expanded board, taking part in weekly meetings and continuing to contribute to the Commission’s activities.

Upon taking office, Alencastro reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to defending democracy and human rights.

“I am honored to succeed Professor Maria Victoria Benevides as president of the Arns Commission. With the support of its members, I intend to continue the Commission’s work in defense of human rights and the Constitution,” he said.

The new president also stressed that the Commission will remain actively engaged in confronting current challenges, emphasizing the need for joint action to address attacks on democracy and human rights.