Arms maker Taurus launches limited gun series for Independence Day

Brazilian arms maker Taurus will launch a limited series of firearms on Wednesday to mark the 200th anniversary of Brazil’s independence from Portugal.

The collection, limited to 200 copies of each model, includes a remake of the first pistol ever manufactured by Taurus and features the phrase “já raiou a liberdade no horizonte do Brasil” (“freedom has already dawned on Brazil’s horizon”), taken from the national anthem, engraved on the guns’ barrels.

As we reported in today’s Brazil Daily newsletter, Taurus is also offering discounts on rifles until next week as part of Semana Brasil — a sort of Brazilian ‘Black Friday’ week launched in 2019 by the Jair Bolsonaro government to spur consumption in the month of September. This year, President Bolsonaro hopes the sale creates a flurry of economic activity and feel-good factors for voters ahead of his re-election attempt in October.

Taurus’ marketing choices will raise more than a few eyebrows in Brazil, where the atmosphere is tense ahead of pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations planned for September 7, Independence Day. 

The president’s supporters are expected to take to the streets with messages calling for the closure of the Supreme Court and even a military coup. Pro-gun groups have been amongst those to call for the mobilizations, which are planned across the country. President Bolsonaro is due to attend rallies in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro. 

On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin issued injunctions against measures which have eased access to firearms, citing concerns around political violence. That same day, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, the president’s third son, made a literal call to arms on Twitter.

“Have you bought a legal gun? Do you have a shooting range or practice at one? Then you’ve got to become a Bolsonaro volunteer,” he wrote.

The discounts on Taurus’ guns will only put firearms within reach of more would-be Bolsonaro volunteers. 

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