Bolsonaro threatens to take army to streets if “hunger chaos” breaks out

RIO DE JANEIRO.- The Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, suggested that he could deploy the military to the streets to restore order if lockdown measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, which he rejects, lead to “widespread chaos due to hunger.”

In an interview with TV Criticia on Friday, offered from the Amazon city of Manaus, Bolsonaro reiterated his frequent criticism of restrictions imposed by local governments to fight infections, measures that he says they do more harm than good. “This policy of confinement, of quarantine, is absurd … we have an action plan. I am the supreme head of the armed forces, ” he warned.

In this sense, he said that the army could deploy to “restore article 5 of the Constitution”, which mentions the right to freedom of movement and religion. Bolsonaro added that the restrictions they worsen hunger in the country. “Me, with my 23 ministersI’m talking about what to do if there is widespread chaos in Brazil due to hunger, due to the awesome way some make people stay at home“He added.

Bolsonaro’s statements were today criticized by opposition governors and politicians. “The position shows once again how committed Bolsonaro is with authoritarianism and allergy to democracy. He made a death pact, which is not only bigger in Brazil thanks to the action of governors and mayors, ”said São Paulo Governor João Doria (PSDB).

The governor of Maranhão, Flávio Dino (PCdoB), also pointed out that the threat of Bolsonaro to use the armed forces on the streets is “Absurd”. He recalled that the Federal Supreme Court (STF) had given the guarantee, since April last year, to government officials to adopt restrictive measures during the pandemic.

Health experts this month called on Bolsonaro to impose a national lockdown after the country’s daily balance of deaths from Covid-19 hit new records.

The Ministry of Health says that more than 386,000 people have died in Brazil from the disease. Critics of the far-right president – a former military man – have long expressed concern over his repeated praise for the military dictatorship that ruled the country for more than 20 years after a coup in 1964, in addition to the fact that he named many soldiers. personnel in civilian positions.

These concerns intensified on March 30, when the leaders of the three branches of the armed forces resigned after Bolsonaro replaced the defense minister. Many analysts have said that the generals feared to be entangled in political affairs.

On March 19, Bolsonaro also raised the issue of military involvement in the pandemic, saying: “My army is not going out to force people to stay at home.”

THE NATION