Brazil’s armed forces say disputes must be resolved through the rule of law

The three commanders of Brazil’s armed forces released a joint statement on Friday stating that solutions to Brazil’s disputes must come from the democratic rule of law, while supporting peaceful protest.

The statement came against a backdrop of concern about the role of Brazil’s armed forces, which led a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, during this year’s presidential elections.

Outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain, tried to involve the military in challenging Brazil’s electronic voting system.

Bolsonaro narrowly lost the election on October 30 against his leftist rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and although has not come to concede defeatdid not block the transfer of power.

Some of his supporters, however, have refused to accept the result, and have camped out in front of military bases across Brazil, calling on the forces to intervenesomething that until now they have not done.

In the letter, signed by the heads of the Brazilian Army, Navy and Air Force, the commanders said that the Brazilian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate peacefully.

“The Brazilian Constitution established the responsibilities and rights that must be observed by all Brazilians and that must be guaranteed by the institutions, especially with regard to the free expression of thought, the freedom to demonstrate peacefully and the freedom of movement” they wrote.

“The Armed Forces remain vigilant, alert and focused on their constitutional role of guaranteeing our sovereignty, order and progress, always in defense of our people,” they added.

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