Brazil’s Minister of Defense, José Múcio, said Friday that there was no «direct» responsibility of the Armed Forces in the coup acts of January 8 and said that the high commands «agree» on the «measures» to be taken against the «individual soldiers» who did participate.
«The military are aware and agree that we are going to take measures. Obviously, in the heat of the moment, we need to be careful so that the processes and the accusations are fair, so that the penalties are fair,» said the Minister of Defense.
«I understand that there was no direct involvement of the Armed Forces. If any element, individually, participated, he will respond as a citizen», he said after the meeting he held at the Planalto Palace with the president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the three chiefs of the Brazilian Armed Forces.
In spite of these declarations, Múcio assured that the violent acts in the Esplanade of the Ministries were not the subject of conversation in the meeting, but that development and investment policies for Defense were discussed.
This is the second meeting between the high command of the Armed Forces and Lula after what happened on January 8. In the first meeting, he expressed his discomfort with the position that the military had adopted, while in this last one, Múcio revealed that Lula had conveyed his «faith» in their work.
«We have tried to move this meeting forward. We have to look ahead, we have to pacify this country, to govern», said Múcio in relation to the meeting that was scheduled for late January or early February, after Lula met with the heads of the Armed Forces last December 16 to ask them for reports on the areas of Defense that needed investment.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
