Lula wants action before turning the page with the military – 01/21/2023 – Bruno Boghossian

The government and the barracks already knew that the relationship between Lula and the military would not be resolved in a chat. Both the President and Minister José Múcio Monteiro (Defense) consider that the January 8th page is too heavy to be turned overnight.

In the days leading up to the meeting with the commanders of the Armed Forces, on Friday (20), Lula told aides that he will expect an energetic measure against the military who were colluding with the attack on the Praça dos Três Poderes. The signaling would include a punishment applied to these individuals by the Armed Forces themselves.

One of the liveliest sources of tension is the leadership of the Presidential Guard Battalion, which should take care of the security of the Planalto Palace. Lula wanted to change the troop commander, but the barracks defended removing him only after an investigation that could prove that he would have facilitated the invasion of the building.

The government also demands a clear change in the position of the military in the face of possible threats of protests in front of the barracks. At this point, there are signs of convergence: the military’s determination is to prevent new occupations.

The diagnosis of Lula’s allies who form a bridge with the military is that Múcio managed to level ground in the Navy and Air Force. The Army, on the other hand, is seen as a problem — which was marked by the force’s leniency with the camp in front of its headquarters in Brasília.

These same Lula operators consider it an illusion to believe in an immediate turning of the page, due to the alignment of part of the troops with Bolsonarism. The effort, according to them, must be made to expand the support of legalist circles and isolate the radicals as much as possible.

None of this will be enough to end the political contamination bequeathed by Jair Bolsonaro and his allies within the Forces. The picture drawn is one of damage reduction work, with exemplary concessions and punishments along the way.

PRESENT LINK: Did you like this text? Subscriber can release five free hits of any link per day. Just click the blue F below.