“A phenomenon occurred in Brazil. I can’t explain how, but Bolsonaro got the majority in all the military forces. In the federal police, in the road police, in part of the military police and part of the armed forces. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared at the Casa Rosada , the seat of the Argentine government, “Now we will have a lot of responsibility for the country’s return to normal.”
Lula da Silva is visiting Argentina on his first international trip, which symbolizes the priority of Brazil in relation to its main strategic partner, whose relationship is the focus of regional integration.
Lula da Silva made statements to the press alongside Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, with whom he signed agreements, memorandums and declarations.
What happened is that Bolsonaro did not respect the constitution and did not respect the role of the armed forces. I’m sure we’ll set the record straight. He promised Brazil when asked if the climate of mistrust between the government and the army had ended, with the change in the leadership of the army, after the January 8 attacks on democratic institutions in Brasilia.
He said, “First I chose a leader of the army who did not succeed, then I chose a new leader who thinks exactly like me about the role of the armed forces,” explaining that the armed forces cannot serve a politician, referring to the former. President Jair Bolsonaro.
“The armed forces are there to ensure the sovereignty of the country and the security of the people. Everything is regulated by the constitution,” he noted.
Last Saturday, Lula sacked the army chief, General Julio Cesar de Arruda. The President lost confidence after the attacks on the three authorities of the Republic.
Command passed to General Tomás Miguel Mín Ribeiro Paiva, who advocated the institutionalization and non-political, non-partisan role of the force. The new leader will have the role of political cleansing of the force.
For his part, the Argentine president said that “this (attack) certainly could not happen in Argentina” because “the Argentine Armed Forces are committed to the democratic and institutional process.”
“I am the first democratic president whose military command is entirely composed of officers trained during democracy,” Alberto Fernandez affirmed.
The Argentine military dictatorship lasted seven years, between 1976 and 1983. Although its duration is much shorter than that of other countries in the region (Brazil lasted 21 years, between 1964 and 1985), the Argentine military regime was one of the bloodiest with balance. 30,000 kidnapped, tortured and killed.
Lula took the opportunity to recommend to Argentines, in the upcoming general elections in October, to be careful with the choices of the far-right whose growth in voting intentions has been detected by all polls.
“That Argentina does not allow the far right to win elections because the far right has not succeeded in any country. I hope the Argentine people are smart and do not allow an electoral disaster to happen in Argentina,” Lula wondered.
Candidates will be selected in Argentina only from May onwards. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez does not rule out running for re-election, although opinion polls conducted by advisors such as Synopsys, Pollarquia and Giacobe indicate that Fernandez’s popularity is no more than 25%. The center-right opposition is leading opinion polls.
