Opposition wants to overturn Lula’s anti-gun decree

A group of 53 deputies filed this Saturday (22) a Draft Legislative Decree (PDL) to overturn decree 11.615/2023, edited this Friday (21) by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and which restricts the carrying and possession of weapons and ammunition across the country. The proposal headed by Delegate Paulo Bilynskyj (PL-SP), if approved by the Chamber and also by the Senate, rescues the regulation adopted during the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The PDL will first be processed in thematic committees of the Chamber before going to the plenary of the House and from there to the Senate.

According to its author, Lula’s disarmament decree contains articles that “exorbit the regulatory power”, violating even the Disarmament Statute, especially with regard to the current powers of the Army in this matter. By decree of the PT government, the control of guns for Collectors, Shooters and Hunters (CACs) will no longer be an attribution of the Force and will become the responsibility of the Federal Police (PF). According to the text, the change in jurisdiction over gun control will be made progressively in favor of the PF.

Lula’s decree resumes the restriction on 9mm weapons, which civilians have had free access to since the government of Michel Temer (MDB), in addition to reducing the validity of firearm registrations for CACs, from 10 to three years. The measure also reduces the maximum number of weapons that can be purchased by civilians, including sport shooters, from 60 to 16. Another decision was to once again make a distinction between weapons used by security agencies and those accessible to ordinary citizens. CACs also cannot carry a loaded weapon in traffic.

“The bums are grateful”, says Senator Flávio Bolsonaro

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) said in a video published on Friday night (21) on his social networks that the new gun decree is a “simple and dumb revenge” against former President Bolsonaro and his voters. “Lula did not sign a decree, he signed a death sentence for many people who will no longer be able to defend themselves. The bums thank you,” he concluded. He recalled that in 2019, in the first year of the previous government, there was a record 19% drop in the homicide rate, thanks to the greater number of guns in the hands of “orderly citizens” and the adoption of a “tough policy against organized crime”.

For the senator, by tightening the rules for the purchase, use, possession and possession of weapons and ammunition, Lula creates bureaucracy and takes away from the Army the role of inspector of weapons, overloading the PF. “Instead of fighting crime, the police will check up on good, hard-working citizens,” he said. He also classified the decree as “irregular and illegal” and, therefore, the opposition would seek ways to annul it.

On his first day in office, Lula signed a decree to limit access to weapons and ammunition in the country, suspending the granting of new registration certificates (CR) to hunters, shooters and collectors (CACs). The decree, confirmed by the Federal Supreme Court (STF), also restricted the amount of weapons and ammunition that can be registered by one person and suspended the possibility of registering new clubs and shooting schools. In addition, the Army can no longer authorize any type of new acquisition of weapons and will have to interrupt the acquisition processes that were in progress.