Lula associates flexibility in weapons sales as one of the reasons for attacks in Rio

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated that the wave of militia attacks on public transport in Rio de Janeiro on Monday (23) and the public security crisis in the capital were caused, among other reasons, by the relaxation of the sale of weapons in the government of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

The statement was made during the weekly live “Conversa com o Presidente”, resumed this Tuesday (24) after almost a month in which Lula was away to recover from hip surgery. The broadcast peaked at 3,200 people watching.

According to Lula, Brazil as a whole is experiencing a “chronic problem of combating organized crime”, and that the situation in Rio de Janeiro “ends up being a problem for Brazil”.

“The liberalization of arms sales in this country in a haphazard manner meant that organized crime took possession of an arsenal that it did not have before. So he can buy on the market, authorized, which is a crime against the Brazilian people,” he said, although he did not name the former president. However, Lula is a critic of the decrees signed by Bolsonaro on access to weapons since the election campaign.

He also recalled the theft of 21 machine guns and rifles from the Army War Arsenal in Barueri (SP), and that “they were reaching the hands of organized crime”. Lula, however, did not comment on any responsibilities, although he has the constitutional attribution of being the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

In addition to making arms sales more flexible, Lula credited the wave of violence in Rio to the population’s living conditions. “As long as the people suffer, there is a possibility of growth in organized crime. Everything is linked to the living conditions of the people,” he said.

He also stated that he intends to create another Esplanada ministry, that of Public Security, a campaign promise that ended up being incorporated by the Justice department. However, he is still thinking about what the operating structure should be like.

Lula said that he had a “long conversation” with Minister Flávio Dino, of Justice, with Governor Cláudio Castro (PL-RJ) and that he will meet with José Múcio Monteiro, of Defense, this Tuesday (24) to discuss how the federal government can help Rio de Janeiro combat criminal organizations including militias and drug trafficking factions.

He, however, ruled out any possibility of intervening in public security in Rio de Janeiro, as former president Michel Temer (MDB) did in 2018 and which, he says, “didn’t do any good”. At the time, the Armed Forces stated that there was a reduction in crime in eight of 12 criminal types, such as intentional homicides (13.6%), robbery (34%) and cargo theft (19%), among others. Deaths in confrontations with the police rose by almost 40%.

“Let’s see how we can come in and participate in helping, we don’t want pyrotechnics. We don’t want to take away authority from the governor and the mayor, we want to find a way out together, the solution has to be shared”, said the president.

For him, it is possible for the Air Force to reinforce patrolling at airports, the Navy at the ports, and the Federal Police and the Armed Forces to act as an auxiliary force, but without giving society the idea that they will solve the entire problem of organized crime.

“We are going to help Rio return to normality and fight the militiamen, [as pessoas] have the right to come and go without being harassed with burned-out buses and stray bullets,” he added.