The heads of the Air, Land and Navy were replaced on Tuesday in Brazil the day after the arrival of a new Minister of Defense after a cabinet reshuffle, amid tensions between President Jair Bolsonaro and the military.
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“For the first time in history, the heads of the three Army forces are presenting their resignation collectively, in disagreement with a president,” noted the daily Folha de Sao Paulo.
The Defense Ministry did not specify the reasons for this decision, which was announced at the end of a meeting Tuesday in Brasilia in the presence of Minister Walter Braga Netto and his predecessor, Fernando Azevedo e Silva.
According to the Brazilian press, the surprise departure of the latter was very badly experienced by the commanders of the three arms, General Edson Pujol (Army), Admiral Ilques Barbosa (Navy) and the head of the Air Force Antonio Carlos Bermuda.
In the brief statement announcing that he was leaving his post, General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, former Chief of Staff, assured Monday that he had been “entirely loyal” to President Bolsonaro. But he also recalled the importance of “preserving the Army as a State institution”.
For Merval Pereira, political columnist for the daily O Globo, the outgoing minister was “uncomfortable when Bolsonaro used the army for political ends”.
This unease was also present among the main military leaders, in particular the commander of the Army, General Edson Pujol.
In May 2020, as the coronavirus health crisis began to take on serious proportions in Brazil, President Bolsonaro wanted to shake his hand during an official ceremony, but he preferred to extend his elbow, following the health recommendations for avoid contamination.
Six ministers replaced
Many generals also disapprove of the attitude of Bolsonarist militants nostalgic for the military dictatorship (1964-1985) who last year called for an “intervention” by the Army against Parliament and the Supreme Court.
Jair Bolsonaro, former captain of the Army, on the other hand, would benefit from broad support among the lower-ranking soldiers.
Most analysts believe that the ministerial reshuffle was intended to increase its control over the Army.
A total of six ministers were replaced on Monday, including those for Justice and Foreign Affairs.
Under fire from critics because of his chaotic management of the health crisis which left more than 313,000 dead in Brazil, President Bolsonaro also attempted a rapprochement with the “Centrao”, an informal group of centrist parliamentarians who monetized their support in exchange of important posts.
He thus appointed Flavia Arruda, a figure of the Centrao, to the secretariat of the Government, in charge of dialoguing with the Parliament.
“These changes responded to a double logic: first, he had to make room for the Centrao, and then he wanted to be surrounded by the most loyal people possible, especially within the Army to face the political crisis. », Explains International Relations specialist Oliver Stuenkel