Governor of the DF criticizes the Lula government’s proposal for the creation of a national guard – 01/27/2023 – Power

The interim governor of the Federal District, Celina Leão (PP), criticized this Friday (27) the proposal to create a National Guard, one of the main items of the package of legal actions presented by Minister Flávio Dino (Justice and Public Security) , in response to the coup acts of January 8.

Celina spoke again that the DF security forces suffered a “blackout”, but even so she defended that the Military Police “can handle” dealing with large and violent demonstrations.

This Thursday (26), Flávio Dino presented Lula with a package of legal measures with the aim of offering a response to the acts of January 8, when supporters of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) advanced on the security forces and invaded the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Federal Supreme Court.

The package of measures provides for two bills, a provisional measure and a PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution). They are: creation of a national guard responsible for protecting the Esplanada and the Praça dos Três Poderes; regulation of social networks, on the grounds that it is necessary to prevent the internet from being used to disseminate anti-democratic content; tougher punishments for those who violate the democratic rule of law; and streamline the process of loss of assets following court decisions.

Upon arriving for the governors’ meeting with Lula, the DF governor said she had no “interference” in the proposed creation of the national guard, but said that the Military Police is capable of dealing with violent demonstrations. She said that the creation of a new police battalion should resolve any flaws in the structure.

“We do not agree with this creation of the guard. It is more of a security force to be managed by the Federal District government, even if it is in partnership with the federal government. Our Military Police can handle it. What was missing on the 8th was a The Military Police have never been absent from all the demonstrations they have had here. So we do not agree with the creation of this Guard. So I think that a reinforcement of the battalion that we have already provided and the construction of a new battalion will definitely solve this problem”, he said.

The creation of the guard is defended by Dino’s team to counter possible extreme situations, in which the Federal District government is disaffected by the federal government and therefore decides not to act in defense of federal institutions.

Celina, however, criticized the measure and defended that it be discussed primarily by the political class of the Federal District itself.

“I don’t believe it’s interference, but more a command, because at the main moment, a problem we had, the Military Police will have to be called in. We’re talking about 15,000 men and it’s these men who, when necessary, are men trained, we have specialized police. So, like this, the creation of the National Guard needs to be discussed with politicians, parliamentarians, senators here in the Federal District”, he added.

The package’s measures must be presented by Lula to the National Congress.

The Ministry of Justice is studying, for example, punishments such as the loss of public office and the impossibility of taking part in public examinations, in addition to the creation of new criminal types for those who attempt against the lives of the heads of the three Powers.

On another front, the PT government wants to impose obligations on big techs to reduce coup content.

Such as Sheet showed, according to the text of the proposed law, platforms will have a “duty of care” to prevent the dissemination of content that calls for the abolition of the democratic rule of law, encourages violence to overthrow the government and publicly incites animosity between Armed Forces and the Powers.

In summary, the proposals presented to Lula deal with the following topics: