Demilitarizing is democratizing the State.

By Emir Sader

The 1964 military coup promoted the most radical transformation of the Brazilian state, which became radically militarized. The Armed Forces appropriated the state, with their high command deciding who would hold the presidency in turn, while also determining who would serve as military personnel in government ministries.

The exception was the ministries of economy and justice, occupied by economists and jurists from universities, especially the University of São Paulo. The former were there to steer the economy, the latter to draft the institutional acts with which the military imposed its decisions.

Imposing a dictatorship meant militarizing the State. When the dictatorship ended, the military withdrew from their positions in the State. But at that time, there was nothing like the Truth Commission to investigate everything that happened during the dictatorship; that only happened much later.

The military maintained the National Security Doctrine since leaving the government. They continued to consider themselves Brazil's protective reserve against what they always perceived as the risks of the country adopting models like those of Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.

When democracy was broken again in Brazil in 2016, the military returned to intervening in politics, once more occupying a large number of positions in the State. And, under Bolsonaro's government, they also began to occupy key positions within the government itself.

Active and reserve military personnel have once again made threatening statements, supporting the new regime that emerged from a coup and threatening the Judiciary if it allows Lula to retain his political rights.

The Bolsonaro government was increasingly dominated by the military, the basis for Bolsonaro's threats of continuing the authoritarian regime. A core of military officers remained the fundamental reference point for the far right, threatening to prevent a return to democracy in Brazil.

When Lula implemented a process to restore democracy in the country, the demilitarization of the government and the State was an integral part of it. The estimate was that several thousand – between 6 and 8 military personnel holding public office – resigned or were dismissed.

The attempted coup of October 8th accelerated this process because not only did the Armed Forces fail in their duties to protect the fundamental headquarters of the Brazilian State, but also, many of them were caught actively participating in the acts of vandalism that day.

For two reasons – failures in protecting the Presidency of the Republic, Congress, and the Supreme Federal Court, and participation in the terrorist actions of that day – Lula intensified this demilitarization process.

It is thus clear, both during the military dictatorship and in the more recent rupture of democracy, how militarization became identified with dictatorship and authoritarianism. And how democratization coincides with the process of democratization in Brazil.

Lula adopts this new stance. He states that the military doesn't have to get involved in politics. That if they want to get involved in politics, they literally have to take off their uniforms.

He met with them, demanded they fulfill their constitutional duties, and organized a meeting of the military to discuss the situation of the Yanomami, as if telling them that there are other very important tasks they can undertake.

The change of Army commander demonstrates that the establishment of the Armed Forces' command structure was incomplete. The attempted coup on January 8th was a test of the behavior of the Armed Forces and the police.

Lula openly reaffirmed the need to punish all those who were linked to the coup. Turn the page, but only after the punishments.

It is clear that the replacement of the Army commander demonstrates Lula's dissatisfaction with the measures taken in that force and with the continued presence of people from Bolsonaro's government. Lula is exercising his authority, demonstrating his strength and his willingness to align the commands of the Armed Forces with his vision.

The atmosphere following this replacement will be the first test of how relations between the government and the Armed Forces are unfolding in this first month of Lula's third term.