Mourão criticizes Bolsonaro's silence and those who tried to involve the Armed Forces in the coup.

By Moisés Mendes, for 247

Hamilton Mourão filled the vacuum left by Bolsonaro to attack Bolsonaro.

In his address to the nation, broadcast on radio and television tonight, the vice-president general said, without mentioning his superior, that Bolsonaro ended up involving the Armed Forces in the coup bluff by mobilizing fools and patriots to camp out in front of military barracks.

The general doesn't mention the defeated candidate, nor the fools and truck drivers who blocked the roads, but it wasn't necessary.

This is the excerpt addressing Bolsonaro's silence and the terrorists encouraged by Bolsonarism:

"Leaders who should have reassured the nation about a national project allowed their silence or their inopportune and detrimental protagonism to create a climate of chaos and social disintegration, and irresponsibly allowed the Armed Forces of all Brazilians to pay the price. For some, this was due to inaction, and for others, to foment a supposed coup."

The rest of the speech dealt with a Brazil that doesn't exist, from the perspective of the outgoing government.

Mourão gave a positive assessment of the government, attacked the three branches of power, with particular criticism of the Supreme Court, acknowledged the struggle of those who defended conservative positions in the elections, and announced that he will relentlessly oppose the Lula government.

The general, elected senator, sent a message much more to Bolsonaro's supporters than to the PT (Workers' Party) and Lula.

By distancing himself from the coup plotters, Mourão is positioning himself to occupy Bolsonaro's place on the far right, but without any ties to the former leader.

Mourão decided to speak on national television to hand Bolsonaro over to those who intend to devour him, now powerless and without immunity.

He labeled the defeated candidate a coup plotter and irresponsible, and accused him of disrespecting the Armed Forces. Mourão pitted the defeated candidate against the military.

The criticism also extends to Mourão's fellow officers in uniform, who stood by Bolsonaro until the end.

What contingent of the forces is Mourão representing with his speech, and what is the political and numerical expression of this group within the three branches of the armed forces?

We will now await the response from the fugitive, who had Mourão as one of his protectors during these four years.