Lula dismisses army commander after crisis generated by acts in Brasilia

President Lula (PT) decided to exonerate Army commander General Júlio Cesar de Arruda. With the decision, communicated to the military this Saturday (21), the commander leaves office just 22 days after being appointed. The resignation takes place just one day after the meeting between the Chief Executive with the Minister of Defense and the commanders of the Armed Forces.

The new commander of the Army will be General Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva, who was second on the list of soldiers who could become commanders in the Lula government according to the criterion of seniority.

Arruma had assumed command of the Army on an interim basis on December 30, still in the Bolsonaro administration, after an agreement between the current Defense Minister in the Lula government, José Múcio Monteiro, and the previous holder of the portfolio, Paulo Sérgio Nogueira. At the time, General Arruda’s choice of Lula was based more on respect for seniority criteria – the now former commander is the oldest four-star general in active service in the Brazilian Army – than on political alignment.

After the attacks on the buildings of the Three Powers, on the 8th, the relationship between Lula and the general became fragile. One of the reasons was that Arruda would have prevented military police from the Federal District from entering the camp set up by demonstrators in front of the Army Headquarters after the acts of vandalism.

Meeting between Lula and Defense should “turn the page”

At yesterday’s meeting between Lula, Defense Minister José Múcio and the commanders of the Armed Forces, including Arruda, Múcio stated that the meeting served to “turn the page” and create an atmosphere of distension between the government and the Armed Forces.

On the occasion, Múcio stated that if the participation of a military member in the acts carried out at the headquarters of the Three Powers is proven, he will respond individually as a citizen. According to him, the military were aware of and in accordance with the measures adopted by the government. The Defense Minister’s speech was in the opposite direction to that of President Lula (PT), who stated on other occasions that he saw the direct involvement of the military in the demonstrations.