RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With his popularity wavering, Jair Bolsonaro has increased the number of military officers in his government. The presence of Armed Forces representatives in the Executive Branch had never been this great since the restoration of democracy in Brazil.
An unprecedented survey conducted by the Paraná Research Institute shows that the result of the partnership between the president and the military is reflected in votes.
For 40.3% of respondents, the presence of members of the Army, Air Force and Navy in the public administration positively influences the polls, while 34.7% pointed to this as a negative factor. “Bolsonaro’s administration absorbs the power of the military’s image and this is reverted into positive points with voters,” says Murilo Hidalgo, director of the Paraná Research Institute.
The crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic prompted the president to increase the military’s range of influence. A recent example of this occurred at Petrobras, with the replacement of economist Roberto Castello Branco, a recommendation of Minister Paulo Guedes, by reserve general João Silva e Luna, general director of Itaipu Binacional.
According to the Federal Audit Court (TCU), the number of Armed Forces members in commissioned positions in the administration rose from 1,934 in 2018 to 2,643 in 2020. The Ministry of Defense reports that there are currently 3,314 military personnel in the Executive Branch, of which 1,881 are members of the Army, 731 of the Air Force, and 702 of the Navy.
Of the 23 ministers of state, 9 have a military background and hold strategic portfolios, such as the Chief of Staff (General Braga Netto), Mines and Energy (Admiral Bento Albuquerque) and Health (General Eduardo Pazuello).
The Minister of the Cabinet of Institutional Security (GSI), reserve general Augusto Heleno, is an example that the uniforms are on the rise. On February 4th, he was cheered by Bolsonaro’s supporters during an official visit to the city of Cascavel, in Paraná.
The supporters asked to have their picture taken with Heleno, who has over 2 million followers on his social networks. The general led the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Haiti, but became better known after entering the political world as a top palace adviser.
“The transfer of credibility from the Armed Forces to the government also influenced the way people perceive the president,” explains Hidalgo. According to the Paraná Research Institute survey, 56.9% of respondents see Bolsonaro more as a military officer than as a civilian. Nurturing this image is a strategy used by Bolsonaro to associate his government with the Armed Forces’ popularity. “The Bolsonaro government has not yet experienced any corruption scandals. This, in a way, is credited by the population to the role of the military in key posts,” says Hidalgo.
Source: Veja