Brazil’s firearms debate takes a U.S. twist

On Tuesday, left-wing lawmakers postponed a vote in the House’s most important committee on a bill that aims to make Brazil, in one aspect, similar to the U.S.: by allowing individual states to adopt legislation on firearms.

The bill is heavily supported by the pro-Bolsonaro opposition, including the so-called “bullet caucus” composed mostly of retired police and military officers.

Far-right Congresswoman Caroline de Toni, the bill’s author, was clear about its motivation. She wrote that efforts to avoid the “regulatory setback” imposed by the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration “are welcome”, given that “the federal government has been imposing strong limitations on [the] segment of firearms”.

On his first day in office, Lula signed decrees rolling back former President Jair Bolsonaro’s permissive gun control agenda, and followed suit with new regulations. In July 2023, Lula signed a decree reducing the number of guns and ammunition citizens can own, reinstating restrictions on 9-millimeter firearms and other calibers, and banning the so-called collectors, hunters, and sports-shooters (known by the acronym CAC) from carrying loaded weapons in their commute to shooting locations.

Months later, Lula reversed a tax cut on firearms enacted during the Bolsonaro administration.

Several police investigations have shown that Mr. Bolsonaro’s decrees and lax policies made it much easier for Brazil’s organized crime gangs to obtain guns through legal channels.

Criminal...