Lula government exchanges number 2 of the GSI amid the crisis of mistrust after the coup attack – 01/24/2023 – Politics

The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) changed the executive secretary of the Institutional Security Cabinet –the number 2 of the body– in the midst of the crisis provoked by the acts of January 8th.

General Carlos José Russo Assumpção Penteado was exonerated from his post, and will become attaché to the Army Commander’s office. The official is very close and considered a trusted man of the former head of the GSI in the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government, General Augusto Heleno.

In his place, general Ricardo José Nigri assumes the executive secretariat of the GSI. He is a respected man within the Armed Forces, who was once a cabinet officer for former Army Commander Eduardo Villas Bôas. Behind the scenes, it is said that this is an indication of the Army and not the current head of the GSI, General Gonçalves Dias.

The changes in command of the GSI were published in an extra-edition of the Official Gazette on Monday night (23). They were signed by the vice-president and acting president, Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), and by the Minister of Defense, José Múcio.

The new executive secretary of the GSI had been acting as head of Peace and Aviation Missions, as well as general inspector of the Military Police. He was also commander of the Army Aviation, in Taubaté (SP)

In addition to the executive secretary, there were two changes in important positions in the portfolio, with two military personnel reversing their positions. General Marcius Cardoso Netto takes over the Security and Presidential Coordination Secretariat of the GSI, leaving the position of head of the Planning and Management Advisory of the General Department of Personnel.

General Carlos Feitosa Rodrigues takes the opposite path.

In addition, the dismissal of Colonel Luís Antonio Correia Lima, who held the position of military advisor to the former executive secretary, was published.

After the January 8 act, the government intensified the dismissal of military personnel who worked at the Planalto Palace, in bodies such as the Presidency of the Republic, the Vice President and some ministries. Just last week, 84 members of the Armed Forces left their posts at the palace.

After the attacks, the president expressed his distrust on several occasions. In an interview with GloboNews, he stated that the federal government’s intelligence “did not exist” on the eve of the act.

In addition to the head of the GSI, General Gonçalves Dias, pressure increased on the Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro, due to suspicions that the Armed Forces did not act to prevent the vandalization of the palace, in addition to being lenient with the coup camps, in front of the headquarters in Brasilia.

On Saturday (21), Lula dismissed the commander of the Army, General Júlio Cesar de Arruda, amid an open crisis of confidence with the Armed Forces.