Army: General returns to lead advisory in Congress – 04/17/2023 – Power

The Army Command appointed a general to head the sector responsible for the relationship with the National Congress after a period of 19 years without rank officers being assigned to the function.

The strategy of replacing a two-star general (first of three levels of generalship) at the head of the parliamentary advisory was adopted by the commander of the Force, Tomás Paiva, in view of the possibility of projects contrary to the interest of the military leadership being approved in the Legislative.

General Marcus Augusto da Silva Neto was chosen for the role. He took office after the approval of the 16 generals of the Army High Command, in a meeting in February. Silva Neto, as he is known, is considered an experienced general, with good political interlocution.

The general was even approached by members of the Army leadership for the position at the end of last year, after Lula’s victory. In an internal assessment, the military believed that Congress could initiate discussions about the role of the Armed Forces in the face of the political involvement of the barracks with the Bolsonaro government.

One of Silva Neto’s initial functions, according to reports, will be to understand whether there is a possibility of approval of a PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution) of the PT to amend article 142 of the Constitution and withdraw the citation to the guarantee of law and order among the attributions of the Armed Forces.

He will also have to assess the thermometer in Congress for the installation of a CPI to investigate the invasion of the headquarters of the Powers on January 8 and coordinate strategies to obtain amendments to the Budget for Army expenses.

Tomás Paiva told subordinates, in January, that the command should preserve the Army against proposals to reformulate the Armed Forces. The conversation was recorded and leaked by military personnel present at the meeting.

“It’s part of the chain of command to hold back so that this doesn’t happen. Now it’s more difficult, but we’re going to hold on, because Brazil needs the Armed Forces. Our posture, our cohesion, our maintenance of values, our belief in hierarchy and discipline, on our professionalism, depends on the political strength of the commander and the Force commanders to prevent any kind of attempt to want to throw us into the framework”, he said at the time.

For senator and reserve general Hamilton Mourão (Republicanos-RS), the appointment of a general officer to be a parliamentary advisor demonstrates the relevance that the Army has given to discussions in Parliament.

“This is a strategic issue for the Army. It is giving more importance to advisory services, placing an element at a higher hierarchical level to have a stronger dialogue with parliamentarians,” he told the report.

In command of the 3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade for the past two years, Silva Neto was responsible for coordinating security for events of the Presidency of the Republic, such as September 7 and the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

In both cases, the general was assigned to the CSA (Area Security Coordination) after the GSI (Area Security Office), then under the command of General Augusto Heleno, asked the Army to name a soldier to lead the organization. event security.

In the Bicentennial of Independence, for example, he had to change the logistics of the ceremonies to comply with orders from then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to place tractors in the civic-military parade.

He even coordinated with leaders of Bolsonarist movements to enter the Esplanada dos Ministérios of the sound car used on the last 7th of September, in which Bolsonaro climbed and shouted “unbrochable”.

In the preparations for the inauguration, the general’s situation was more delicate. Initially, the Federal Police team that carried out Lula’s security tried to corner the GSI and the Army from the inauguration ceremony.

In the end, General Silva Neto managed to break loose part of the resistance and held meetings with members of the PF, the Government of the Federal District and Lula’s transition team about the security of the event.

The Army informed, by note, that the “last time that a general headed the ASPAR (Parliamentary Advisory) of the Army was in the year 2004”. At the time, General Rubem Peixoto Alexandre left office about to receive the third star on his shoulder.

The general’s main effort was to seek better conditions for the Army, with budget reinforcement, after a period of financial difficulties in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB) government.

The military even received a vote of praise from the Chamber, suggested by federal deputy Alexandre Cardoso (PSB-RJ). “His presence in this House was a determining factor in building consensus around the importance of reequipping the Armed Forces,” he wrote at the time.

In 2006, Ricardo de Mattos Cunha took over parliamentary assistance as a colonel and left the position just after being promoted to general.

Strengthening the Forces’ parliamentary advisory was a strategy adopted by the military during the redemocratization process, in 1985. In the National Constituent Assembly, Army advisors worked in conversations with constituents and passed on information to the Minister of the Army, General Leônidas Pires Gonçalves.

As a legacy of that time, the Armed Forces still invest heavily in parliamentary advisory services. The military uses a 27 m² room on the 27th floor of the Senate tower.

Six advisors without uniform usually circulate through the offices of deputies and senators to ask for amendments to Defense projects and feel the climate for possible defeats in the Houses.