Documents show military officials kept track of Pele during Brazil’s military dictatorship

SAO PAULO – Documents released by Brazilian authorities show that military officials kept track of Pele during the country’s dictatorship era.

The files unveiled by the Sao Paulo state government on Monday show officials investigated Pele in the 1970s, keeping record of his activities and probing incidents involving the football star, including alleged attacks to his home in the coastal city of Santos.

The military dictatorship ruled Brazil from 1964-85, with officials constantly trying to identify possible opponents to the regime and vehemently acting to reprimand radical leftists.

Pele had already been linked to military dictatorship investigations after he allegedly received a manifest requesting his help to try and influence the release of political prisoners.

The documents on Pele were among several files on well-known Brazilians released online by the state government.