Minister of Defense defends the Armed Forces and states that he was criticized by members of the Lula government after January 8th
The Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro, said that Brazil did not have a coup in 2023 because of the Army’s actions. When talking about January 8, he declared that the Armed Forces were not to blame for the depredation of the Three Powers during the extremist acts.
Múcio compared the work of the military in the 1st year of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) with 1964, when a dictatorship began in the country. “We can calmly say that if we owe the Army the 1964 coup, we owe it to the Army not to have the 2023 coup”said in an interview with CNN Brazil aired this Saturday (May 11, 2024).
Without mentioning names, the minister stated that the allegations made in 2024 demonstrate the innocence of the Armed Forces on January 8th.
At the beginning of the year, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cesar Barbosa Cid, former aide-de-camp of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), reported in an investigation by the Federal police in some actions against the former president. One of them is about an alleged coup attempt by the previous government.
“Today I can tell you with absolute certainty, after these allegations at the beginning of this year, that the CPF was suspected […] When it was so and so, you released the Army and found so and so as the suspect”said Mucio.
The minister declared that members of the Lula government criticized him for defending the Army’s non-involvement in radical actions on the Esplanada dos Ministérios. He also mentioned that the left wanted to blame professionals for the depredation.
“Within the government itself I received a lot of criticism, but since I was saying what I thought it gave me comfort.”
Múcio came under pressure after the acts of January 8th. But Lula ruled out resigning soon after the attack. “Zé Múcio will continue to be my minister, because I trust him”said the President of the Republic on January 12th.
Extremists invaded the headquarters of the Three Powers (Executive, Legislative and Judiciary) on January 8, 2023. The episode was marked by the depredation of the STF (Federal Supreme Court) building, the Planalto Palace and the National Congress.
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