After two weeks of unrest in the nation’s capital, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil has decided to remove the country’s army chief from his position.
General Julio Cesar de Arruda has only been in the position since the 30th of December, which was shortly before the term of the previous president, Jair Bolsonaro, came to an end.
The President of Brazil, Lula, has stated that he has a hunch that elements of the military forces conspired with demonstrators.
In recent days, he has fired dozens of military personnel from their positions.
After marching across the city mostly unopposed on January 8, thousands of Mr. Bolsonaro’s supporters attacked several government facilities in Brazil in an attempt to show their support for their candidate.
During the rioting, a number of police officers were hurt, and several buildings, including the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court, were vandalized after rioters forced their way inside. According to the reports of Brazil’s federal police, around 2,000 people were detained throughout the course of the day, and nearly 1,200 people are still being held.
Jair Bolsonaro is being questioned as a witness in the investigation being conducted by the Supreme Court into what took place. The former leader of the far-right group is suspected of inciting the incident after publishing a video online in which he casts doubt on the veracity of the presidential election that took place the previous year, according to the prosecutors.
He has denied any role in the rebellion that was led by his supporters, as well as any culpability for it.
It has been decided to replace General Arruda with General Tomás Ribeiro Paiva, a military officer who is considered to be close to the president. Earlier in the week, he gave a speech in which he urged the military personnel to accept the outcome of the election for president.
A significant number of Bolsonaro supporters who participated in the storming were motivated to act violently by unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud that occurred in October. Many people were infuriated by the fact that President Lula, who was convicted of corruption in 2017 and served time in prison before having his convictions overturned, was reinstated to his position as head of state.
President Lula places direct responsibility on Mr. Bolsonaro for the unrest, but he also raises a highly accusatory finger at “those inside the armed forces” for their involvement in the conspiracy.
Mr. Bolsonaro has served as an army captain in the past, and it is well known that he has the support of certain influential members of the armed forces. It’s possible that Lula’s replacement of the army commander and the removal of dozens of officers responsible for presidential protection can be interpreted as measures towards regaining trust in the military troops that surround him.
After such a turbulent beginning, Lula is now faced with the problem of attempting to govern in an environment that is acrimonious and extremely polarized.
On Friday, the Minister of Defense of Brazil, José Mcio, stated that it was time to turn the page and focus on the future of the country. He also stated that the Brazilian military as an institution was not involved in the unrest.
In the meantime, Jair Bolsonaro continues to dwell in Florida, where he has remained since he declined an invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Lula.
Anderson Torres, the former minister of justice and a close ally of Jair Bolsonaro, was detained and accused of “sabotaging” the efforts of the police to safeguard the buildings in Brasilia. This accusation led to his arrest the week before last.