(Rio de Janeiro) A judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil temporarily limited access to weapons given by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday because of the “risk of political violence” during the electoral campaign.
Posted at 7:30 p.m.
“The start of the electoral campaign exacerbates the risk of political violence”, which “makes it of extreme and exceptional urgency” the need to restrict access to weapons and ammunition, writes magistrate Edson Fachin.
This decision was taken “in the light of recent and regrettable episodes of political violence”, he said, without specifying whether he was referring to local events such as the murder in July of a militant of the Party of Workers (PT) by a pro-Bolsonaro policeman, or Thursday’s attack on Argentine Vice President Cristina Kirchner in Buenos Aires.
According to the court, Judge Fachin’s decision establishes that only “persons who concretely demonstrate that they actually need (weapons)” can possess them. It also determines that “the purchase of restricted firearms may only be authorized” for reasons of “public safety or national defense, and not on the basis of personal interest”, as is the case for sport shooters, hunters and collectors.
With the approach of the October 2 election, which will oppose the outgoing president to the former head of state Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), the constant questioning of the electronic voting system by Jair Bolsonaro makes fear a refusal by his supporters of a possible defeat or a reproduction of scenes like the invasion of the American Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Since coming to power, Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has issued several decrees to ease access to firearms, including allowing more guns to be owned and more ammunition to be purchased. Some of these decrees are being analyzed by the Supreme Court, which must decide whether they are constitutional or not.
The Brazilian Superior Electoral Court (TSE) announced last Tuesday the ban on the carrying of weapons in polling stations for the presidential election of October 2.