Brazilian governors worried about Bolsonaro’s support among military police

BRAZIL, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Brazil’s state governors are worried that military police will support President Jair Bolsonaro in an upcoming march, according to reports released on Tuesday, as the former captain of the extreme right continues to sow doubts about next year’s presidential election.

Their concerns came to light in minutes of a meeting of governors in Brasilia on Monday, at which they discussed the worsening of the political crisis in Brazil, as Bolsonaro chooses fights with the Supreme Court and federal electoral authorities and questions the credibility of the country’s elections.

Of Brazil’s 27 governors, 25 signed the act expressing concern over the high level of support for the president among the country’s approximately 500,000 military police, who depend on state governors.

Active military police are banned from holding political demonstrations, but many are expected to appear in the Sept. 7 marches in support of Bolsonaro.

Critics say Bolsonaro, who tracks former left-wing president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in most opinion polls, is seeking to gather police support ahead of next year’s vote.

His attacks on the electoral process have sparked fears that he will not accept a potential loss. In Brazil there is a growing concern about what role the armed forces and state police could play if Bolsonaro rejected the election result.

Most experts believe that the armed forces would defend the constitution and prioritize the peaceful handover of power, but some fear that state police officers could go on strike, making it basically impossible for states to run day-to-day.

“It is crucial to reaffirm the commitment of the governors to ensure that the mission of the state police takes place within the constitutional and legal limits,” the acts signed by 25 governors say.

The issue of Bolsonaro’s support among military police was brought to the meeting by Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria, a centrist rival of the president. On Monday, he fired a senior state police officer who publicly posted about his support for the president and his plans to appear on the march. Read more

Doria said the upcoming “noisy demonstrations … put democracy at risk.”

A prosecutor in the Brazilian capital on Monday asked the commander of the Military Police to be notified of what measures will be taken on September 7 to secure the Congress and Supreme Court buildings, which some Bolsonaro supporters threaten to occupy.

Prosecutor Flavio Milhomem also asked the Military Police intelligence agency for any information on anti-democratic acts practiced by active-duty officers and retired officers.

Report by Lisandra Paraguassu; additional reports by Anthony Boadle; writing by Gabriel Stargardter; edited by Jonathan Oatis and Richard Pullin

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