President Bolsonaro Authorizes Deployment of Armed Forces in Ceará

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Thursday, February 20th, President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree authorizing the deployment of the Armed Forces in Ceará, at the request of Governor Camilo Santana.

The State is experiencing a crisis in public security, aggravated by the strike of part of the state police, who are mutinous in barracks and battalions. By law, state police officers are not allowed to go on strike. The Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO) decree was published in a special edition of the Federal Gazette and is in force from February 20th to 28th.

“I have just signed the GLO for Fortaleza [in fact, for all of Ceará], the governor has met the requirements,” said Bolsonaro outside the Alvorada Palace, the official residence. The president used the opportunity to call on Congress to approve the bill that eases the concept of exclusion of liability for acts of security agents during such operations.

“I make one thing very clear, we need Congress to approve the illicit act exclusion cause. My conscience is heavy at the moment, with many youths in their 20s and 21s who will be on the mission. They are going to carry out a mission that is close to a war, and then, should there be any problems, they may be tried by peace law. We must give a legal guarantee, legal backing to those soldiers in the Armed Forces on that mission. It is irresponsible for us to continue carrying out this operation without giving these members of the Armed Forces the necessary guarantees”, added Bolsonaro.

On Wednesday, February 19th, Senator Cid Gomes of Ceará was shot twice with a firearm while attempting to break through a roadblock by police officers on strike in the 3rd Military Police Battalion of Sobral, a city 235 kilometers from Fortaleza. After undergoing emergency surgery in the city, the senator was transferred to the capital and is out of danger.

In a post on social media, Governor Camilo Santana expressed his gratitude for the authorization granted by the President.

“I have just received a call from the Minister of the Government Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, General Luiz Eduardo Ramos, saying that the President has just attended our request by authorizing the use of the Armed Forces for the Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO) in the state of Ceará. The presence of the National Forces had also been authorized here in the state to act jointly with our security forces. Every effort will be made to ensure the protection of our brothers and sisters from Ceará. I thank President Jair Bolsonaro for the Federal Government’s support at this time,” Santana published.

According to the GLO decree, it will be up to the Minister of Defense, General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, to determine the command in charge of the operation and allocation of the soldiers in the state.

National Forces

In addition to the Armed Forces, a group of agents from the National Public Safety Force boarded for Fortaleza on Thursday. The sending of the National Forces to Ceará was determined by the Minister of Justice, Sérgio Moro, after a request from Governor Camilo Santana in the midst of the security crisis in the state.

Initially, they will remain in the state for 30 days. The decree authorizing the measure was published in the Federal Gazette on Thursday, February 20th. In 2019, the federal government had already deployed the National Forces to contain a wave of violence in the northeastern state.

Source: Agência Brasil