“Quando nós chegamos no hospício”

Gilberto Gil’s arrest for possession of marijua-na in Florianópólis in 1976

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8966/2025/86579

This article analyzes the arrest of Gilberto Gil for possession of marijuana, which took place on August 8, 1976, in the city of Florianópolis/SC, during the tour of the band Os Doces Bárbaros. The study, located on the border between criminology and the history of law, was carried out based on the analysis of three types of primary sources: the criminal case brought by the Public Prosecutor's Office against Gilberto Gil as a result of the arrest in flagrante (unpublished source); the documentary Os doces bárbaros, which contains scenes from the trial hearing and testimonies from the agents of the penal system and the defendant; and newspaper and magazine reports that circulated at the time. These sources were read in the light of the work and biographical and artistic reflections of Gilberto Gil (and the other Tropicalists), especially on prison experiences, as well as bibliography on the subject and its context, namely the civil-military dictatorship and its criminal drug policy. In addition, we worked with biographical information about the agents of the penal system involved in the case.