Tensions rise between Brazilian president and military high command

The participation of an army general in a political rally held by Jair Bolsonaro has reignited tensions between Brazil’s far-right president and the country’s military high command.

Gen Eduardo Pazuello, who served as his health minister until March, joined Mr Bolsonaro on stage at a rally before supporters in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday at which members of the press were attacked by some of those in attendance.

By participating in the rally the general broke the Brazilian army’s ban on serving members from participating “in affairs of a party-political nature”.

The army high command had told local media it would make a statement on the matter after opening disciplinary measures against Mr Pazuello. But it failed to make any comment after Mr Bolsonaro rang the defence minister and ordered that none be made.

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The incident follows a crisis in March when Mr Bolsonaro engineered the removal of the heads of the three armed forces over their refusal to publicly back him in his politically-motivated campaign against the efforts of state governors to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

With thousands of serving and former officers holding positions in his administration, Mr Bolsonaro has been accused of seeking to co-opt what he refers to as “my army” into his increasingly authoritarian agenda.

Gen Pazuello has become a hero to the president’s supporters because of his loyalty to Mr Bolsonaro and willingness as health minister to implement his denialiast approach to combating the coronavirus which led to an explosion of cases and Covid-related deaths during his ten months in charge of the health portfolio.

The general was already the centre of a debate about whether he should be punished after he told several lies during two days of testimony last week to a congressional inquiry into the administration’s response to the pandemic.

Senators openly charged him with being untruthful while the presidential palace celebrated his testimony as having protected Mr Bolsonaro from accusations including that he had worked to sabotage efforts by other authorities to provide Brazil with vaccines against Covid-19.

The general’s appearance in congress caused disquiet within the armed forces whose disciplinary code also forbids serving members from lying, leading to calls that Gen Pazuello be censured for his behaviour before the inquiry.

The general is being encouraged by supporters of the president to run for the governorship of Amazonas in elections next year. The Pazuello family has long-standing ties to the state in the heart of the Amazon jungle, which has been one of the worst affected by the pandemic.

Gen Pazuello is a partner in local businesses there owned by his brother Alberto who was arrested in 1996 for raping and torturing adolescents. He was also accused of participation in a local death squad known as The Firm. A murder case against him has reportedly been held up for 25 years after documents were lost by state prosecutors.