Brazil’s president says he will not tolerate rigged elections in October

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil’s conservative President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) has again indicated that the October elections had better be regular and that the Armed Forces are keeping a close eye on the whole process.

The statements were made today (19) at a government-organized event in Brasilia to celebrate Armed Forces Day.

“The Armed Forces do not give messages, they are present, and they know how to proceed. They know what is best for their people and their country. They are actively involved in guaranteeing law and order, our sovereignty, and the regime that the people want to live with,” Bolsonaro said.

Speaking of the Brazilian Army, “what comes to mind is that the Armed Forces have always been present in all the difficult moments our nation has lived through,” said the former captain, listing “important dates” such as 1922, 1935, and 1964. Those years marked alleged attempts to promote a communist regime in Brazil, among other things.

Bolsonaro also cited General Villas Boas, who warned the activist Federal Supreme Court (STF), which is flirting with the left, if it decided to release the then jailed ex-President Lula da Silva in 2018. At the time, the military said the armed forces would “discuss measures” if the court granted the former president’s habeas corpus petition. Edson Fachin decided not to grant freedom to the Workers’ Party leader, who had been regularly sentenced.

Back then, the STF did what it wanted anyway. In a mysterious decision, it white-washed the jailed Lula da Silva so that the latter may now seek the presidency of Brazil one more time as the presidential candidate of the left.

When Michel Temer (MDB) assumed the presidency in 2016, he even sought out Villas Boas, then commander of the army, before taking office.

“Attempts to usurp power, change our government, and change our way of life are unacceptable at any point in history,” Bolsonaro stressed in his speech.

“The role of the Armed Forces and the Army is known by everyone, not only in difficult moments in the political sphere but also in other moments they have always been present,” he added, returning to the topic before closing his speech.

Also attending the event, Bolsonaro again signaled that he did not intend to “accept” an election “under the guise of suspicion,” indicating that this was a concern of his and Defense Minister General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira.

“Who gives the north for us are the ballot boxes. […] We can never hold an election in Brazil that is overshadowed by mistrust. This commitment comes from all of us, from the President of the Armed Forces, from the commanders of the Armed Forces, and, of course, from the work of the Minister of Defense,” he said.

He said that he was “sure” that the process would proceed “at a normal pace” due to the Armed Forces’ participation at the invitation of Luís Roberto Barroso, former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

“I am sure that this year’s elections will follow their normal rhythm. Also, I would like to congratulate Justice Luís Barroso, who, as president of the Superior Electoral Court TSE, has invited the Armed Forces to… I repeat, invited… to participate in the entire electoral process,” he stressed.

Luiz Fux, President of the Supreme Court, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), President of the Chamber of Deputies, and Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), President of the Senate, accompanied Bolsonaro’s speech.