By Arkady Petrov
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro, who visited the State of Rio Grande do Sul for the first time since his investiture, attended the National Artillery Festival, held in Santa Maria, in the central region of the state. In a speech this Saturday, June 15th, that had not been included in the event’s program, the head of state made an important announcement:
“I am very proud to announce that we have just reaped one of the rewards of our visit to the United States. President Donald Trump has accepted us as a major non-NATO ally. This allows us to have better equipment and greater collaboration with the defense market. Investing in the Armed Forces is more than one might think: it is guaranteeing our peace and our tranquility,” said Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro also said that the Armed Forces must always be prepared to protect Brazil’s riches and avoid any threat to the country.
During the speech, the president also used the occasion to publicly defend the individual arming of the population.
“Our life has value, but there is something much more valuable than our life, which is our freedom. Besides the Armed Forces, I defend the individual arming of our people, so that our rulers are not tempted to take over absolute power. We have an example in Latin America. We don’t want to copy them. Trusting the people, trusting the Armed Forces, that problem is increasingly distancing itself from us,” he said in a statement.
Vice President Hamilton Mourão took part in the ceremony alongside Bolsonaro. Both were welcomed by the mayor of Santa Maria, Jorge Pozzobom, and by Governor Eduardo Leite.