Politics

Brazil’s military politicians are out and about and together again

After the end of the military dictatorship, Brazil's Armed Forces regained respect by keeping to themselves — now, they have returned head-first into politics

After winning the presidency, Jair Bolsonaro named throngs of military officers to government positions. Photo: Marcos Corrêa/PR
After winning the presidency, Jair Bolsonaro named throngs of military officers to government positions. Photo: Marcos Corrêa/PR

Former president and current presidential frontrunner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to fire thousands of military officers from government jobs should he win this year’s election. But even if he succeeds, the military will still be out and about in Brasília. They have left the confines of the barracks and, at least in the short term, they are not planning a retreat.

Not since Brazil’s 21-year dictatorship ended in 1985 has the military enjoyed as much political power as it does now. In 2019, Jair Bolsonaro — a former Army captain forced into retirement by a disciplinary committee — became Brazil’s first former military officer democratically elected as president since the dictatorship. Once in office, he brought throngs of men in fatigues with him to the Executive branch.

It is now unclear how many government jobs are currently filled by active-duty or retired military personnel. In 2020, Brazil’s Federal Accounts Court counted a total of 6,157 — over twice as many as in 2018.

A survey by news website Poder360 counted 8,450 jobs in total, but the tally is not comprehensive. It accounts only for part of the retired military officers working for the government. In the same year, there were also over 2,700 active-duty service members employed in a range of cabinet departments and state-owned companies. 

At least 300 of them worked in so-called “civilian” ministries, departments traditionally unconnected to the military.

As close to power as possible

It is easier to count the military members of the government’s top brass. Of Mr. Bolsonaro’s current 23 cabinet ministers, five are retired military officers, including three generals: Augusto Heleno (Institutional Security), Paulo Sérgio Nogueira (Defense), and Luiz Eduardo Ramos (Secretary-General of the Presidency). 

Additionally, a number of former ministers once served in the Armed Forces, too, and only recently left their jobs for political reasons — mostly to run for elected offices.

Navy Admiral Bento Albuquerque was fired in May from his job as Mines and Energy Minister because of escalating fuel prices. 

Army Captain Tarcísio de Freitas quit the Infrastructure Ministry to enter the São Paulo governor’s race. 

Air Force pilot and astronaut Marcos Pontes left the Science and Technology Ministry to run...

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