Heads of Brazilian Armed Forces to Submit Resignations to New Defense Minister

The leadership of the Brazilian armed forces will make his resignation available after the departure of the Minister of Defense, Fernando Azevedo, by decision of President Jair Bolsonaro. The soldier will be replaced by the former chief of staff Walter Souza Braga Netto.

According to what the newspaper reported San Pablo sheet, Army commanders (Edson pujol), Marine (Ilques Barbosa Junior) and the air force (Antonio Carlos Moretti Bermúdez) took the joint decision at a meeting What they kept Monday evening. According to the aforementioned support, ruled out “coup rumors”.

The spokesman for the now former minister Azevedo told the aforementioned media that the “relationship limit“Between the official and the president, Jair Bolsonaro, was reached last week, when the head of state again insinuated that he wanted the support of the army to take “exceptional measures”.

If confirmed, This joint resignation of the heads of the armed forces would be an unprecedented event in the history of the South American country and would mark a final break between the military and Bolsonaro.

Resignation of the reserve general Fernando Azevedo e Silva it was given hours after the chancellor, Ernesto Araújo, will communicate his decision to leave the post.

Azevedo e Silva had been in the cabinet since Bolsonaro came to power, in January 2019, and he was one of eight ministers (out of a total of 22) with a military rank. The departure of the Minister of Defense came as a surprise, as there were no rumors of discontent.

The president, a former army captain, has placed military personnel and retirees at all levels of his government, raising fears that the reputation of members of the military will suffer.

“During this time, I preserved the armed forces as state institutionsWrote Azevedo e Silva in a ministry statement. “I leave with the certainty of a mission accomplished“, He said.

Added to that of the general Eduardo Pazuello at the head of the Ministry of Health two weeks ago, he is the third victim of a key member government in the most acute phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bolsonaro carried out a ministerial reform on Monday, with the change of the holders of six portfolios, including those of foreign relations, defense and justice, announced the Ministry of Communications.

The changes started in the morning, with the resignation of Ernesto Araújo, under fire from criticism for the failure of Brazil’s policy to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and spread into the afternoon with unforeseen changes.

Bolsonaro, just over four months after exceeding half of his four-year term, has appointed new officials to head the ministries of Civil House (a post with powers of head of government) and the attorney general of the ‘Union (AGU). , which is responsible for defending the legal interests of the Federation.

For the Secretariat of the Presidency (a ministerial position, of direct advice to the president) the deputy has been appointed Flávia Arruda, third woman to join the cabinet, with 22 members.

Two weeks ago there was already a change in the Ministry of Health, at the head of which the cardiologist was appointed Marcelo Queiroga in place of General Eduardo Pazuello. Queiroga is the fourth Minister of Health since the start of the pandemic.

In total, the ministers of Ernesto Araújo (External Relations), Fernando Azevedo e Silva (Defense), André Mendonça (Justice), Luiz Eduardo Ramos (Secretary of the Government), Walter Souza Braga Netto (Chief of Staff) and José Levi have left their (Attorney General or AGU).

Three of the ministers were transferred to other portfolios: Braga Netto will be in charge of Defense; Mendonca will be attorney general; and Ramos will go to the chief of staff. While Carlos Alberto Franco França will take the reins of external relations, Flávia Arruda will be in charge of the government secretariat and Anderson Torres will take justice.

Thus, Ernesto Araújo, Fernando Azevedo e Silva and José Levi will leave the government.

The best placed to fill the post left by Araújo are the ambassadors of the United States, Nestor Foster, and of France, Luis Fernando Serra. In recent days, the names of Communication Secretary Admiral Flávio Rocha and even former Brazilian President Fernando Collor (1990-1992) have also been mixed up.

(With information from AFP and Reuters)

KEEP READING: