Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sacked the country’s top army commander on Saturday, two weeks after rioters attacked public buildings in the capital Brasilia.
According to local media, Julio Cesar de Arruda will be replaced by Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva, who currently heads the army in the country’s southeast region. Paiva released a video on the South East Area Command officer youtube channel on Friday in which he said that the results of the presidential election should be respected.
The decision to replace Arruda was made a day after meeting with Lula and other armed forces commanders in Brasilia. The president is looking to punish those he believes failed to stop the January 8 riots, even at the risk of ruining an already fragile relationship with the military.
The dismissal contrasts with the softer approach adopted by Lula’s Defense Minister, José Museo, who spoke of “turning the page” on the riots. Museo told reporters after Friday’s meeting that Lula believed in the work of the commanders of the armed forces.
The text of this story is published from a wire agency feed without any modification.
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