Brazil Congress riots: President Lula fires army commander

• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fired the country’s army chief.
• General Tomás Ribeiro Paiva replaced General Arruda.
• General Julio Cesar de Arruda had only been in the position since December 30th.

Two weeks after rioting in the capital, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, fired the country’s army chief.

General Julio Cesar de Arruda had only been in the position since December 30th, shortly before former President Jair Bolsonaro’s term expired.

President Lula has stated that he believes military personnel conspired with protesters.

In recent days, he has fired dozens of military officers.

Thousands of Mr. Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia on January 8 after marching largely unopposed through the city.

Several police officers were hurt, and the presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court were vandalized after rioters forced their way inside. According to Brazilian federal police, 2,000 people were detained on the day, and nearly 1,200 are still being held.

The Supreme Court is looking into what happened and has included Jair Bolsonaro in the investigation. Prosecutors believe the far-right former leader instigated the riot by posting a video in which he questioned the legitimacy of last year’s presidential election.

He has denied any involvement in or responsibility for his supporters’ uprising.

General Arruda has been replaced by General Tomás Ribeiro Paiva

Earlier this week, General Tomás Ribeiro Paiva delivered a speech in which he urged soldiers to accept the outcome of the presidential election.

Unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud in October were a motivating factor for many Bolsonaro supporters involved in the storming. Many people were also outraged that President Lula, who was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to prison before his convictions were overturned, was back in power.

President Lula blames Mr. Bolsonaro directly for the rioting but also accuses “people inside the armed forces” of collusion. Thousands of Mr. Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia on January 8 after marching largely unopposed through the city.

Mr. Bolsonaro was previously an army captain and is known to have the support of certain military figures. According to our correspondent, Lula’s dismissal of the army commander and removal of dozens of officers in charge of presidential security is possibly steps toward rebuilding trust in the military personnel who surround him.

After such a turbulent start, Lula now faces the challenge of governing in a bitter and deeply polarised environment.

On Friday, Brazil’s Defense Minister, José Mcio, said it was time to move on and focus on the future of the country, adding that the military as an institution was not involved in the rioting.

Meanwhile, Jair Bolsonaro has remained in Florida since refusing to attend President Lula’s inauguration ceremony.

Anderson Torres, a former justice minister and a key ally of Mr. Bolsonaro, was arrested last week on suspicion of “sabotaging” police efforts to protect buildings in Brasilia.

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