The former Brazilian president and presidential candidate of the Workers’ Party (PT) Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Wednesday that President Jair Bolsonaro’s coup speeches do not have the support of the Brazilian Armed Forces, and that he does not believe in the possibility of a democratic rupture if Bolsonaro loses in the elections.
“I think that he [Bolsonaro] he will try to do whatever he wants, but keep in mind that the military is more responsible than Bolsonaro. I lived with them and I can say that I have no complaints about the behavior of the Armed Forces. I lived with them for eight years in the most dignified way possible, they did not create problems, they helped when it was possible to help“, Lula said.
“I am sure that the nonsense that Bolsonaro says does not have any support from the high command, nor from the active military. I do not believe in a coup, I do not believe that the Armed Forces will accept it, nor that Brazilian society will allow it. If he starts playing with democracy, he will pay dearly for it”, he stressed.
Lula, the favorite to win the presidential elections on October 2 according to all the electoral polls, said that he was in favor of a civilian being in charge of the Ministry of Defense.
Today that ministry is headed by General Paulo Sergio Nogueira.