Brazilian Armed Forces heads discuss Bolsonaro’s cabinet reshuffle, consider resignation

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The deep cabinet reshuffle announced this Monday, March 29, by Jair Bolsonaro’s government caused much commotion and surprise in Brazil. According to what was reported by the local press, the main military leaders met to discuss the decision adopted by the president, which ended in the replacement of six cabinet ministers.

According to reports in the newspapers O’Globo and Folha de Sao Paulo, the commanders of the Army (Edson Pujol), the Navy (Ilques Barbosa Junior), and the Air Force (Antonio Carlos Muaretti Bermudez) met to analyze the possibility of submitting a joint resignation in response to the departure of the Minister of Defense, Fernando Azevedo.

If confirmed, this joint resignation of the heads of the Armed Forces would be an unprecedented event in the history of the country and would mark a definitive break between the military and Bolsonaro.

Folha also indicated that Pujol, who took office on January 11, 2019 with Bolsonaro’s approval, will have a virtual meeting tonight with the main Army commanders to deal with the crisis.

Reserve General Fernando Azevedo e Silva surprisingly announced his resignation from his post as Minister of Defense, hours after the Chancellor, Ernesto Araújo, communicated to President Jair Bolsonaro his decision to leave his post.

Azevedo e Silva had been part of the cabinet since Bolsonaro’s arrival to power, in January 2019, and was one of the eight ministers (out of a total of 22) with military rank. The defense minister’s departure came as a surprise, as there were no rumors of discontent.

The president, a former Army captain, has placed serving and retired military personnel at all levels of his government, raising fears that the reputation of members of the armed forces will suffer. “During this time, I preserved the Armed Forces as institutions of the state,” Azevedo e Silva wrote in a ministry statement. “I leave with the certainty of a mission accomplished.”

Added to the replacement of General Eduardo Pazuello at the head of the Health Ministry two weeks ago, this is the third casualty of a key member of the far-right government in the most acute phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bolsonaro proceeded this Monday with a ministerial reform, with the change of the heads of six portfolios, including Foreign Affairs, Defense and Justice, all announced the Ministry of Communications.

The changes began in the morning, with the resignation of Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, under fire for the failure of Brazil’s policy to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and were expanded in the afternoon with several unforeseen changes.

Bolsonaro, just over four months after passing the halfway point of his four-year term, appointed new heads of the Chief of Staff (a position with the powers of head of government) and of the Solicitor General’s Office (AGU), which is responsible for defending the legal interests of the federal government.

Flávia Arruda was appointed to the Secretariat of the Presidency (a position of ministerial rank, as direct advisor to the President), with the resposibility of liaison with Congress. She is the third woman to join the 22-member cabinet.

In total, Ernesto Araújo (Foreign Affairs), Fernando Azevedo e Silva (Defense), André Mendonça (Justice), Luiz Eduardo Ramos (Government Secretariat), Walter Souza Braga Netto (Chief of Staff) and José Levi (Solicitor General) all left their posts.

Three of the ministers were transferred to other portfolios: Braga Netto will be in charge of Defense; Mendonça will become Solicitor General; and Ramos will move to the Chief of Staff. While Carlos Alberto Franco França will take the reins of Foreign Relations, Flávia Arruda will be in charge of the Government Secretariat and Anderson Torres will take over Justice.

Thus, only Ernesto Araújo, Fernando Azevedo e Silva and José Levi will leave the government.

Source: Infobae