Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has sacked army chief Julio Cesar de Arruda two weeks after the attacks on centers of power in Brasilia, armed forces sources said on Saturday.
Julio César de Arruda assumed this position on an interim basis since December 30, two days before the term of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro ended, and had been confirmed there in early January by the new Lula administration. He will be replaced by the military commander of the southeast, Tomás Ribeiro Paiva, according to GloboNews.
Tomás Ribeiro Paiva said in a public speech on Wednesday that the Army will continue to “guarantee democracy.” “It is the regime of the people, of alternation in power. It is the vote. And when we vote, we must respect the results of the polls,” he said, according to a video published by the G1 Information site. Julio César de Arruda had participated on Friday in Lula’s first meeting with the military chiefs, at the end of which none spoke.
“No direct involvement” of the army in the riots according to the ministry
The military commanders “accept” that sanctions be imposed on the members of the Armed Forces involved in the riots, however, Defense Minister José Mucio said at the end of this meeting, noting however that the participants in the meeting had not I didn’t really mention the riots. The minister had also argued that there had been no “direct participation” of the army in the Brasilia riots.
The relationship with the armed forces is one of Lula’s biggest immediate challenges, according to analysts who point to the significant military presence in the previous administration. The leftist leader has initiated a “deep review” in the military apparatus at the service of the Executive after expressing his distrust towards certain members responsible for his security.
A total of 53 of them were dismissed this week, thirteen of whom were part of the Institutional Security Cabinet (GSI), a government body in charge of assisting the Head of State in his security and national defense policy. More than 4,000 supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro wreaked havoc in Brasilia on January 8, storming and looting the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.
Source: BFM TV
