RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Army Commander General Edson Pujol said on Friday, November 13th, that the institution is not part of the government and has no political party. The General delivered a speech during a national defense seminar, promoted by the Armed Forces.
The statement was in line with what Pujol had said on Thursday, November 12th, during a live webcast. At the time, he said that the military does not want to be part of politics, nor does it want politics to enter the barracks.
The Army commander delivered the statements the same week that President Jair Bolsonaro advocated the use of “gunpowder” to defend the Amazon.
Bolsonaro was commenting on the fact that during his electoral campaign Biden, now the U.S. president-elect, defended economic sanctions against Brazil unless the country stopped the destruction of the forest.
“We are not a government institution, we have no party. Our party is Brazil. Regardless of changes or permanence in a given government for a long period, the Armed Forces take care of the country, the nation. They are state institutions, permanent ones. We do not change our way of thinking every four years and how to accomplish our missions,” Pujol said at the seminar on Friday.
According to blogger Gerson Camarotti, active duty and reserve generals feel that Pujol is expressing discomfort among the armed forces with what they consider to be attempts to politicize the Army.
The alleged use of “gunpowder” against the U.S. has sparked criticism from legislators against Bolsonaro and jokes on social media, some with the Army as a target.
Also present at the seminar, Minister of Defense Fernando Azevedo e Silva was asked after the event if Bolsonaro’s statement had caused embarrassment within the Armed Forces. According to the Minister, the President had resorted to a “figure of speech”.
“In my opinion, it was a figure of speech. I have already told you, a Minister will not comment on a President’s statement. We are leading our normal lives. We are proceeding with our strategic plans,” said Azevedo e Silva.
Source: G1