Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for providing security in conflict areas and support during elections

Brazil’s Defense Ministry announced that the Armed Forces would distribute ballot boxes and perform security duties in the country’s most conflict-ridden areas during the Oct. 2 elections.

Last Saturday, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) approved the deployment of the armed forces to reinforce security in 561 municipalities in 11 states, although approval from the Defense Ministry was pending.

The navy, army, and air force will be deployed in electoral areas, especially in neighborhoods dominated by drug traffickers or militias, to ensure that the population can vote freely.

They will also help with the logistics of distributing electronic ballot boxes and transporting personnel to communities in rural or indigenous areas.

For now, as requested by the Regional Electoral Tribunal, the forces will operate in 167 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro.

In comparison, they will assist in 97 towns in the state of Maranhao.

The states of Acre, Alagoas, Amazonas, Ceará, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Pará, Piauí, and Tocantins have also requested support.

The Ministry of Defense must now determine the number of troops deployed in each location.

In the 2018 elections, there was a military presence in 513 municipalities in 11 Brazilian states.

Brazil will hold elections on Oct. 2 to elect the president and vice president, 27 governors, federal deputies, and senators.

If no candidate receives a majority of votes in the presidential and regional elections, a runoff will be held on Sunday, Oct. 30.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error