After Jair Bolsonaro’s narrow defeat in the presidential elections in Brazil, numerous supporters of the incumbent are calling for military intervention. Now the army is reacting – with a clear commitment to democracy.
After Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s narrow election victory in Brazil and demonstrations by supporters of the voted-out right-wing leader Jair Bolsonaro, the military has rejected calls for intervention. In a joint statement, Brazil’s Navy, Army and Air Force reiterated their commitment to democracy. They also recognized the constitutionally guaranteed right to demonstrate. But they also pointed out that “possible restrictions on this right are to be condemned” as well as “possible excesses in the protests”.
Numerous Bolsonaro supporters demonstrated in front of various barracks in the South American country against the victory of left-wing former President Lula (early 2003 – late 2010) in the runoff election against incumbent Bolsonaro at the end of October. In many states and in important cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília, they called for action by the military because they suspected fraud due to the close election results.
So far, Bolsonaro has not publicly acknowledged his defeat. However, his head of cabinet, Ciro Nogueira, has already said that Bolsonaro has authorized him to initiate the process of changing government. However, the transfer of power is regulated by law anyway, and approval by the outgoing government is not required. Lula will take office on January 1, 2023.
Bolsonaro, himself a reserve captain, is seen as an admirer of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985. During his tenure, he brought many serving and former officers into government and administration. He also repeatedly questioned Brazil’s electronic voting system and announced that he might not recognize a defeat. His radical supporters repeatedly called for a military coup against the judiciary and parliament. However, the armed forces never responded.
