Bolsonaro Makes New Apology for the Free Sale of Arms in Brazil

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday once again defended the free sale of weapons for the civilians, a proposal he has been promoting since he assumed power in 2019.

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"The armed people will never be enslaved," Bolsonaro said in a tweet aimed at mocking his critics.

The Brazilian far-right leader has promoted policies in favor of "self-defense" to reduce violence in this South American country.

Previously, through an executive decree, he relaxed the regulations for the purchase and carrying of firearms. However, some of his initiatives were nuanced or eliminated because of the resistance generated from the Legislative and Judicial powers.

The president made this new allegation in favor of the sale of arms after Veja magazine revealed that his son Carlos Bolsonaro, a Rio de Janeiro councilor, had taken part in "official meetings" to prevent the rules for tracing weapons and ammunition were more rigorous.

The meme reads, "Understand the difference: in 2003, Lula's first decree inaugurated the Zero Hunger program. In 2018, Bolsonaro's first decree facilitated access to firearms. Brazil is once again part of the hunger map."

In response to this revelation, Bolsonaro said that Veja magazine "shot itself in its own foot" if it intended to criticize his son.

"Many have worked and continue to work to prevent the disarmament that occurred in past governments," he added.

His message coincided with the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Brazil, a country that has officially recognized 160,074 deaths and 5,545,705 COVID-19 cases so far.

However, since the start of the pandemic, Bolsonaro has downplayed the severity of the pandemic and criticized the use of masks and social distancing measures.