Bolsonaro Moderates Discourse After Pressure from Military and Judiciary

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Under pressure from the Armed Forces, the Judiciary and the Legislative Branches, President Bolsonaro softened his discourse, said that “democracy” and “freedom” are paramount, also saying that he is the Constitution, a day after taking part in a protest outside the army headquarters that featured military takeover among its demands.

The change in the President’s tone on Monday, April 20th, was followed by an official statement hours later by the Minister of Defense, General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, arguing that the Armed Forces aim to preserve “peace” and “stability” and are always in compliance with the Constitution. This position is part of an effort begun by the government’s military wing to prevent the President’s actions on Sunday from creating an institutional crisis.

That day, Bolsonaro addressed a group of supporters advocating the issuance of a new AI-5, the most repressive institutional act of the military dictatorship (1964-1985). Before the press release, the Minister of Defense attended a teleconference meeting with the Army, Navy and Air Force Commanders. The President’s appearance at the protest was assessed by members of the Planalto Palace’s uniformed core as unreasonable: “The Armed Forces work with the purpose of preserving the country’s peace and stability, consistently in compliance with the Federal Constitution. The present moment requires the understanding and effort of all Brazilians,” the note said.

The Minister stressed that “no country” was prepared for the current pandemic and that this new reality requires the Armed Forces to adjust to fight an enemy common to all: “The coronavirus and its social consequences”. On Sunday, according to Palace advisors, the President was advised not to attend the protest, which he ignored. After the protest, he met with military ministers.

According to reports, he was advised that his presence could have been avoided, and had led to a rise in tensions in the country, particularly at a time when a joint effort is required to tackle the health crisis posed by the coronavirus. On Monday, Bolsonaro followed the advice and moderated his public discourse. Speaking outside the Alvorada Palace in the morning, he stressed that, as far as he is concerned, “democracy” and “freedom” are paramount. “People routinely conspire to come to power. I am already in power. I am already the President of the Republic,” he said. “I am in fact the Constitution,” he added.

In a short interview, the President showed considerable unease with the criticism he received for taking part in the protest and said that during the demonstration he attacked neither the judiciary nor the legislature.” Take my speech. I didn’t speak against any other power. Quite the opposite. We want to get back to work, the people want that,” he said. “That’s it, that’s all. Other than that, it’s imagination, an attempt to inflame a nation that’s still within the norm,” he added.

In addition to advocating a new AI-5, the decree which allowed the closure of Congress during the military dictatorship, Sunday’s demonstration raised flags against the Legislative and Judiciary. On the evening of the demonstration, the president of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Dias Toffoli, spoke on the phone with the Ministers and Generals Luiz Eduardo Ramos of the Government Secretariat, and Fernando Azevedo, who was once an advisor to the magistrate. Toffoli complained of the ambiguity of Bolsonaro’s statements.

Toffoli feels that the President either advocates democratic institutions or supports actions in favor of the dictatorship. According to presidential advisors, the statement issued by Azevedo was intended to address this question and pacify the relationship between the Powers. The STF president, on more than one occasion, has intervened to decrease the strife between Bolsonaro and the Chamber and Senate.

On Monday, Toffoli made a point of praising the six bodies that signed the “Pact for Life and for Brazil” and issued a memorandum to all Ministers to report that he had received the document. “It is worth recalling, at this time, the significant role that these six civil society institutions played in the re-democratization of the country, in the constituent process that consolidated the fundamental goals of the Federative Republic of Brazil,” he wrote.

In addition to the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association) and the CNBB (National Conference of Bishops of Brazil), the Arns Commission (Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns Commission for the Defense of Human Rights), the ABC (Brazilian Academy of Sciences), the ABI (Brazilian Press Association), and the SBPC (Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science) also participate in the movement. Throughout the day, military Ministers approached party leaders to clarify that although Bolsonaro had attended the protest, he had not advocated the AI-5 or otherwise engaged in a speech in opposition to Congress.

Outside the Alvorada Palace, after the military council, the President scolded a supporter who urged him to close the Supreme Court. “Forget this closing talk. You don’t have to close anything here, if you’ll excuse me. This is a democracy”. Despite the pro-democracy discourse, Bolsonaro attacked the press outlets again. He said that only he would speak and whoever would not wish to listen to him would be dismissed. “The Estado de S. Paulo and Folha de S.Paulo, the same headlines. In concert,” he said. “Trying to lead public opinion to believe that I want to regress?”, he questioned.

Economy Minister Paulo Guedes came out in the President’s defense. He said that Bolsonaro is a “democrat”. And that democracy “is loud”. According to him, if there is a march under the Brazilian flag, the President will join it. Bolsonaro’s speech on Sunday, in which he said “no more old politics” and stated that “we don’t want to negotiate anything”, occurred at a time when the government is offering positions to parties in the so-called ‘Centrão’ (a bloc of center and center-right political parties), on an offensive to increasingly isolate the Chamber president, Rodrigo Maia, and form a base that will ensure him victories in Congress.

Source: Folhapress