The Military wing removes Olavo's followers from the Ministry of Education; now all that's left is to remove the chief Olavo follower.

After a barrage of criticism of the supposedly patriotic letter and a meeting with the military wing of the government, Minister Vélez Rodrigues dismissed eight Olavo de Carvalho followers from the Ministry of Education yesterday. Two of them had been identified in a Veja magazine report as "aides" who wielded more power than the minister. In other words, the de facto minister, through these two puppets, was Carvalho.

Vélez gave up the rings to save his fingers.

Olavo de Carvalho felt the blow. In the morning, already knowing that his students would be ousted, he urged them – a few dozen, he wrote – to resign. They should not continue associating with members of the government whom he called "pustules." He was already in open conflict with Mourão. To his latest provocation, the vice president responded by blowing kisses.

Since Bolsonaro has not yet complained about the military intervention in the Ministry of Education, either the generals have carte blanche to meddle in all aspects of the government, even against the president's wishes, or the president agreed to cut the guru's disciples, which would show the decline of Olavo's influence.

This is the second offensive by the military against the so-called "ideological wing." The term is misleading because it doesn't mean anything. In reality, it's the "far-right ideological wing." And, ironically, military personnel who were feared to be far-right extremists are now acting to contain outbursts from far-right civilians, the main figure of whom is the president of the Republic himself.

The target of the first attack was Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, who was willing to fully engage in the conflict with Venezuela. Mourão did not allow him to sit at the table during the Lima Group meeting. He spoke for Brazil, not the Foreign Minister.

Intervention in foreign policy is likely to intensify. The signs are already appearing. Bolsonaro accepted an invitation to visit China, something the Virginia guru would certainly advise against.

It remains to be seen whether the vacancies opened up at the Ministry of Education with the dismissal of the Olavo de Carvalho followers will be filled by military personnel. Or by whomever they nominate.

What if the military uses the intervention to expand its power in the captain's government?

Now, removing Olavo's followers from the Ministry of Education was a correct and preventative measure.

In fact, they should never have been allowed in. Now all that's left is to remove the chief Olavo follower, the minister himself.