Bolsonaro authorizes millions of weapons for hunter battalion.
The number of individuals licensed by the Army as Hunters, Sports Shooters, and Collectors reached its peak in 2019. CACs (Collectors, Shooters, and Hunters) already possessed an arsenal of half a million weapons last year. From January to June, more than 6,3 million firearms were released into Brazilian society.
PT Agency - On June 15, 2019, Jair Bolsonaro finally returned to the city of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul, 26 years after being declared "persona non grata" by the municipality. In June 1993, city councilors had unanimously approved a motion of censure against the then-federal deputy for advocating the closure of Congress and the return of the dictatorship. During the triumphant return of the now-president, for the National Artillery Festival at the 3rd Self-Propelled Field Artillery Group, Bolsonaro touched on one of the most recurring themes of his career: arming the population to prevent "coups d'état."
“Our lives have value, but there is something far more valuable than our lives, which is our freedom. Beyond the Armed Forces, I advocate for individual armament for our people, so that temptations do not cross the minds of rulers to seize absolute power. We have examples in Latin America. We do not want to repeat them. By trusting in the people, by trusting in the Armed Forces, this evil is increasingly distancing itself from us,” he revealed once again in a statement, revealing one of his obsessions.
With six months into his term, Bolsonaro had already adopted a series of measures aimed at relaxing control over weapons and who could use them, in various ways. The issue, after all, has always been a top priority for him. Declaring the Disarmament Statute bankrupt was the starting point for the process of dismantling the controls and oversight structures established since 2003, when the legislation came into effect.
"The president makes it clear that it's not in people's interest to be able to defend themselves, but to have the people armed to oppose policies or adversaries. It's a frightening message that armed militias could emerge to try to undermine democracy," affirms Bruno Langeani, from the Sou da Paz Institute.
To avoid public participation, which is largely opposed to gun ownership, the president has resorted to issuing decrees. But he has failed in most of these initiatives. In the National Congress, there is another source of resistance, despite the growth of the so-called "Bullet Caucus" in the 2018 elections, in the wake of Bolsonarism.
Between one failure and another, however, Bolsonaro advances his agenda, supported by the discourse that it is legitimate "to do everything against the invader inside your residence," with backing from a minority segment of society. For them, the president represents them.
While Bolsonaro struggles with the pen, gun advocates are adopting a tactic to circumvent the restrictions imposed by the Disarmament Statute. This tactic involves avoiding registration through the Federal Police's more rigorous National Weapons System (Sinarm) in order to qualify with the Army's Military Weapons Management System (Sigma) as a CAC (Hunter, Sports Shooter, Collector).
The Registration Certificate (CR) issued by the Army allows the acquisition of weapons for hunting, sport shooting, or collecting activities. To begin the process of obtaining the CR, it is necessary to join a shooting club or organization, where the applicant must attend and train at least eight times a year, with attendance recorded in the minutes.