Lula dismisses the army chief two weeks after the Brasilia attacks

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva dismissed Army Chief Julio Cesar de Arruda for two weeks After the attacks on the centers of power in BrasiliaSources in the armed forces told AFP on Saturday. Julio César de Arruda has held this job on a temporary basis since December 30, two days before the end of the term of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, and it was confirmed there at the beginning of January by Lula’s new administration.

He said he would be replaced by the military commander in the southeast, Tomas Ribeiro Paiva Globo News. Tomás Ribeiro Paiva said in a public address Wednesday that the army will continue to “to ensure democracy.”It is the people’s system, the circulation of power. It’s the vote. And when we vote, we must respect the results of the pollshe said, according to a video released by the G1 news website.

On Friday, Julio César de Arruda took part in Lula’s first meeting with the military leaders, at the end of which no one made a statement. military leadersAcceptanceDefense Minister Jose Museo said at the conclusion of this meeting that sanctions will be imposed on members of the armed forces involved in the riots, stressing that the participants in the meeting did not mention the riots themselves.

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The minister also argued that there was nodirect participationto the army in riots in Brasilia. The relationship with the armed forces is one of the biggest immediate challenges Lula faces, according to analysts who point to the large military presence in the previous administration. left-wing leaderDeep reviewIn the military apparatus at the service of the executive authority after expressing his lack of confidence in some of the members responsible for its security.

A total of 53 of them were dismissed this week, 13 of whom were part of the Institutional Security Council (GSI), a government body responsible for assisting the head of state in his national security and defense policy. More than 4,000 supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro wreaked havoc in Brasilia on January 8, storming and looting the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.