The military rejects the possibility of participating in the coup demanded by Bolsonarist supporters during the demonstrations
An apparent calm is emerging in Brazil after several weeks of outcry and protests over alleged electoral fraud following the defeat of outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro, against his rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the October 30 election. Since then, the climate of tension has only grown, with hundreds of Bolsonarist supporters demonstrating in front of military bases demanding a coup to prevent the leftist leader from reaching the government. But this Friday, doubts about a possible military participation in this extreme initiative have been allayed. Through a statement, the military confirmed its loyalty to Lula.
The commanders of the army, navy and air force underlined their “unwavering commitment” to “democracy, the Brazilian people, harmony and social peace”. In their note, they referred to the “popular demonstrations” which, although they have lost momentum, have been repeated since election day, with the polls declaring Lula the winner by a 1.8 percentage point difference to Bolsonaro. The followers of the far-right leader, led by groups of truck drivers, have gathered at the gates of many barracks to demand a coup to prevent “Communism” from taking power in the country.
What can be done against them? Nothing for now. As the armed forces note, the constitution guarantees the right “to critical demonstrations against constitutional powers”, although it warns that not only “possible restrictions on these rights are reprehensible”, but also “excesses” of those who protest, such as the one seen in Santa Catalina, where bolsonarist swore the flag under the Nazi salute and placed minors as human shields in the blockades imposed on several highways across the country. In that sense, they warned that protests that “restrict individual or collective rights, endanger public safety or threaten the harmony of society cannot be accepted.
The statement comes a day after the military raised suspicions about the election results after stating that the report on the reliability of the polls “does not rule out the possibility of fraud”. The new communiqué allays fears of his possible participation in a coup and brings greater peace of mind to Lula, who this week began taking steps towards a political transition.
Today, Brazil’s elected Vice President Geraldo Alckmin announced the names of 36 people who will hold positions in the left-wing government, including two former ministers. On the one hand, Paulo Bernardo, who led Communications about seven years ago and was accused of fraud, will be responsible for the same portfolio. On the other hand, Guido Mantega, former Minister of Economy from 2006 to 2015 and arrested for alleged corruption in the ‘Lava Jato’ case, will be part of the group responsible for Planning, Budget and Management.
Source: La Verdad
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