How Brazil’s Military Police became a key supporter of Jair Bolsonaro

Police officers are increasingly throwing their weight behind President Bolsonaro and become an important source of support for the embattled leader

brazilian police bolsonaro — Bolsonaro attends 2019 graduation of São Paulo police cadets. Photo: Marcos Corrêa/PR

Jun 04, 2020 16:19 6 min read (Updated: Aug 23, 2021 8:37)

This past Sunday, in one of his now weekly public appearances, President Jair Bolsonaro rode out to meet his supporters in Brasilia on horseback, borrowing a trusty steed from the military police department of the Federal District. Around the same time, military police counterparts in São Paulo were launching tear gas canisters and flash bombs at a group of anti-fascist demonstrators on Avenida Paulista, in the city center.

Since March, with the implementation of Covid-19 isolation measures across the country, the president and his supporters have held public street protests every Sunday to urge people to get back to work...

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How Brazil’s Military Police became a key supporter of Jair Bolsonaro

Police officers are increasingly throwing their weight behind President Bolsonaro and become an important source of support for the embattled leader

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