Brazil’s right-wing president; Jair Bolsonaro has admitted that everyone in Brazil should buy a rifle. Mr Bolsonaro said those who oppose guns should stop stalking gun buyers during a meeting with their supporters outside the Alvorada Palace – the president’s official residence – on Friday.
The president has already relaxed gun laws to allow more Brazilians to carry firearms for self-defense, citing a rise in killings.
Brazil had five percent Growth In murders in 2020 compared to 2019 after two consecutive years of decline. Mr Bolsonaro’s plan to ease rules on gun ownership was part of his election campaign, during which he posed with weapons and made shooting gestures with his hands. He repeatedly suggested that Brazilians would be safe in their homes if they had a shotgun.
Surveys have previously suggested that nearly two-thirds of Brazilians oppose liberalizing gun laws.
However, Brazil saw a 90 percent increase in the number of new firearms registrations in 2020 compared to the previous year, the highest number in a historic series of federal police systems.
Mr Bolsonaro ousted his predecessor 2003 The Statute of Disarmament Act, which allowed the sale of guns but restricted who could buy and carry firearms. Only law enforcement officers with special permits, including the armed forces, police and prison guards, were allowed to do so.
Under his new decree In 2019, he loosened gun ownership laws, making it easier for Brazilians to own a weapon at home. It also increased the validity of gun licenses from five to ten years.
In addition to battling the coronavirus health crisis, which has already killed more With more than half a million Brazilians, the country is also facing a deep political crisis, which has led to high inflation, hunger and unemployment.
Dr Andreja Santos, director of the Brazilian Studies Program at Oxford University, said these issues are ongoing in the midst of an institutional crisis within the Brazilian government.
“Bolsonaro suggests that elections cannot be held, or that they will not be fair, that the future of the country as well as families are at risk. He appeals to his followers and moves towards his radical right,” Dr. Santos said.
Cristian Przybyski, a Sao Paulo-based journalist, suggested that instead of urging an easing of gun laws, Brazil has more law and order concerns that Mr Bolsonaro should address.
“We have to keep in mind that violence is a reality in our country, so everyone wants to feel safe,” she said. “Our policy is not to be able to combat crime in the way we feel really safe in our homes or on the streets.”
“The situation is particularly bad in some cities, such as Rio de Janeiro, where slums are controlled by drug mafia and gun-wielding teenagers.”
He said that one of the groups most adversely affected by the liberalization of gun laws would be women.
The Sou da Paz Institute, which analyzes data on armed violence in Brazil, said that firearms are responsible for 51 percent of the killings of women in Brazil over the past twenty years.
“Having more weapons in the hands of citizens increases the vulnerability of our women,” she warned
