Bolsonaro defends the military regime and calls the Paraguayan dictator a 'statesman'.
President Jair Bolsonaro once again praised the presidents of the Brazilian military dictatorship and stated that the Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled the country from 1954 to 1989, was a "statesman"; Bolsonaro's statement was made during the inauguration ceremony of the new board of directors of the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, the first to have a military officer at the helm in the last 30 years, held this Tuesday (26).
247 - President Jair Bolsonaro once again praised the presidents of the Brazilian military dictatorship and stated that the Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled the country from 1954 to 1989, was a "statesman". Bolsonaro's statement was made during the inauguration ceremony of the new board of directors of the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, held this Tuesday (26).
"I wanted to remind those who were truly responsible for this work. All of this, the initial negotiations, began way back in the government of Marshal Castelo Branco," said Bolsonaro. According to him, the military officer, who headed the Brazilian government from 1964 to 1967, was elected under "the light of the Constitution in force at that time." Castelo was elected through an indirect vote a few days after the coup that deposed President João Goulart, who was legitimately elected by the population.
He also stated that the construction of the Itaipu dam "would not have been enough if we did not have, on this side [Paraguay], a man of vision, a statesman, who knew perfectly well that his country, Paraguay, could only move forward, progress, if it had energy. Here too, my tribute to our General Alfredo Stroessner."
The new Brazilian director-general of Itaipu is General Joaquim Silva e Luna, who was Minister of Defense under Michel Temer (MDB) last year. He is the first military president of Itaipu in the last 30 years.