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

Access all of The Brazilian Report

Start your 7-day free trial.

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