Lula government hits head over arms sale to Peru – 06/06/2023 – World

Chancellor Mauro Vieira took the microphone on the last 24th and told a room full of deputies in Brasília that he spoke with President Lula and that Brazil “will no longer sell weapons to Peru” while the situation in the Andean country does not stabilize, in speech resonated in several international vehicles.

The only thing missing was Itamaraty agreeing with the military, which must also give approval to this type of export by companies. “The Ministry of Defense has not been formally informed that there will be changes in trade relations with Peru,” the ministry said when asked about the decision.

This is yet another episode of noise between the two bodies within the government. Both have had communication problems fueled by the role of the Armed Forces in foreign policy, showed the Sheet last week, with the organization of events and military training with allied countries.

Despite Vieira’s speech to the deputies, the theme, according to the Sheet found, is still under debate between the portfolios, which analyze the legislation. Itamaraty did not respond to the questions in the report, while the Ministry of Defense, as already mentioned, says only that it was not informed about changes. Thus, it is not yet known whether or not Brazil will suspend arms exports to Peru, and whether the decision will be limited to lethal weapons —which the government says it has not sold for three years— or whether it will also apply to less lethal weapons.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is under investigation on charges of genocide, homicide and serious injury in repression of acts that killed 49 civilians and 7 security agents in December and January. The acts began after the dismissal of his predecessor, Pedro Castillo, who attempted a failed self-coup.

In a report, the NGO Amnesty International states that, of the 23 autopsies it had access to, 19 deaths were caused by firearms, and 3 by lead projectiles. Dina reacted: “The report does not state that there were human rights violations.

In the case of the export of lethal weapons, both the Itamaraty and the Ministry of Defense must give approval. When it comes to less lethal weapons, such as sprays and rubber bullets, exports only go through Defense, which has already indicated that it sees no impediments to sales to Peru.

“The Ministry of Defense […] assessed whether all requirements were met […] and, as no restriction was found to be imposed on the importing country [Peru]followed the precepts in force, not identifying a violation of authorized standards”, wrote Minister José Múcio in a February letter.

Behind the scenes, there is pressure from Brazilian companies that produce defense articles so that the portfolio does not veto any exports at this time, as companies face a decline in sales. Faced with this scenario, the Minister of Defense promised to promote these firms outside the country.

In the letter, he was referring to the sale of nearly 30,000 tear gas cartridges made by the Brazilian company Condor Tecnologias Não-Letais, from Nova Iguaçu (RJ), to the Peruvian National Police. The contract, revealed by the local newspaper La República, was signed on December 20, still in the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and days after the death of 16 people in the repression of protests in the interior of Peru.

In January, already in the Lula government, this sale was questioned by federal deputy Fernanda Melcchiona (PSOL-RS), through letters sent to the Itamaraty and Defense. The first ministry’s response was that the export of non-lethal weapons was not within its competence, and the second, Múcio’s office.

The parliamentarian, then, joined other deputies from PSOL and from the Network and delivered a new letter to Chancellor Vieira, in March: “Although there is no legal impediment, it does not seem compatible with the new orientation of Brazilian foreign policy, based on in dialogue and respect for human rights, provide ammunition to be used against social movements and the population as a whole”, he argued.

On the last 24th, the deputy again charged Vieira, this time in a hearing of the Chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, during which the chancellor gave accounts on the G7 meeting in Japan. That was when he stated that Lula had decided to suspend arms sales to Peru. At the time, the minister said that today there are no ongoing orders for the export of lethal weapons to the neighboring country. “The weapons that are there were sold three years ago. As long as the situation lasts, this export will not exist again.”

In Peru, the repercussion of the speeches made the Council of Ministers take a stand: “In view of the information circulating about an alleged decision by Brazil to suspend the sale of arms to Peru, it is specified that there are no orders in progress or pending purchases of this type “, wrote the organ on the networks.

Neither Itamaraty nor the Defense responded to the request of the Sheet to report how many weapons and ammunition, lethal or less lethal, have been sold to Peru in recent years. Data on arms exports that are public, from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, however, show that Brazil has exported to the country at least US$ 1.9 million (R$ 9.4 million) since 2021 in shotguns and rifles — with a peak in 2022, still under the Bolsonaro government, as compiled by the Sou da Paz Institute.

Brazilian companies also received US$ 485,000 (R$ 2.4 million) for the sale of cartridges for shotguns and carbines, a category that may also include less lethal ammunition. But these numbers, according to the entity, may refer to sales made in the civilian market, that is, for self-defense or sport shooting, not for government security forces.

Collaborated with Cézar Feitosa, from Brasilia