By Lisandra Paraguassu
BRASILIA (Reuters) – In an event that was not included on his official agenda, President Jair Bolsonaro called on an “army of good people, civil and military”, to unite and “prevent them from stealing our freedom”.
In insinuations against the judicial and electoral system, Bolsonaro said that “the marginals of the past, today use other weapons, also in air-conditioned offices, in order to steal our freedom”.
The speech was made during the graduation of cadets at the Military Police Academy of Barro Branco, in São Paulo. The event, despite being official and scheduled for a speech by the president, was not on the official agenda, and was broadcast only on Bolsonaro’s personal social media.
According to Bolsonaro, the “marginals in air-conditioned offices” he referred to “start blaming our freedom of expression, start chastising good people, making them give up their purpose”.
“We, the Armed Forces, we, the auxiliary forces, will not let that happen. We defend our Constitution, our democracy and our freedom,” he continued. “More and more, this army of good people, civil and military, must unite to prevent them from stealing our freedom.”
Bolsonaro has returned, in recent weeks, to attacks on electronic voting machines, the voting system and the Electoral Justice, raising unfounded doubts about possible fraud and insinuating that he may not accept the result of the October presidential elections, when he will seek reelection.
On Thursday, the president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Edson Fachin, responded indirectly to the president and stated that no one will interfere in the Electoral Justice and that those who take care of elections in the country are the “unarmed forces”.
The speech bothered Bolsonaro who, at night, in his weekly live, replied to the minister and said that the Armed Forces are not meddling in the elections and that no one wants to attack electronic voting machines.
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