While he remains in prison and is involved in coup plots to prevent the inauguration of , increasing the stain on the reputation of his corporations, the biggest concern of members of the Army, Navy and Air Force in recent days has been another: their share of the cut package of federal government spending.
The temporal convergence between the uniformed officers plotting to ruin democracy and the fiscal adjustment caused turmoil in the so-called “military family” and represents a political challenge in the relations between the Palácio do Planalto and the barracks, as in a few moments of Lula’s third term. —the post-January 8th, with , still tops this list.
Those in the investigation into the coup plot to prevent Lula from taking office: the 25 represent two thirds of the total. Of these, 7 are general officers (including former Navy and Army commanders) and . In addition to those indicted, retired general Mario Fernandes was arrested (along with three other Army officers and a federal police officer) under Lula, the vice president and the minister of .
Some changes to military pensions, but the fact that the announcement that these changes would be included in the package was made in the throes of the process, right after the indictments and new arrests of uniformed personnel, amplified the complaints in the barracks and left distrust in the air. that the timing could have something revanchistic – as if the government had taken advantage of the political fragility caused by the PF’s actions to do now what would come sooner or later.
In fact, although Defense was in fact the last ministry to join the package, since November 11th (before, therefore, the indictments and news about coup plans) the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, had already warned that Lula asked for negotiations.
Of the ways to reduce costs with the military protection system, the most significant, and which meets with the greatest resistance among the military, is the one that establishes a minimum age of 55 for transition to the reserve — today, there is no minimum age, but it is necessary who complete 35 years of active service; until 2019, 30 years were enough. The economic impacts of the measure remained to be announced.
In recent days, the report spoke to active and reserve officers from the three Armed Forces. While there is a somewhat resigned disappointment with the putschism of colleagues — always under the argument that it is the madness of isolated actors, and not of corporations institutionally —, dissatisfaction with the changes in social security is widespread.
As an active Army colonel defined it, the sergeant of a border platoon is much more concerned about when he will be able to join the reserves than about the arrest of a general.
What is vocalized in private conversations and in application groups came to light in the Armed Forces and in the Lula government.
To react to the idea that military personnel have privileges, the play portrayed Brazilian civilians as enjoying a sweet life. The initiative was considered a shot in the foot, given the huge negative reaction on social networks, such as and .
In recent days, videos and texts with a similar tone — highlighting soldiers’ sacrifices and denying privileges, but without contrast with civilians — have circulated among soldiers of all ranks.
“There is resistance to the package because the Armed Forces and the military profession are already very discredited. In the good schools in Rio, you won’t find anyone who wants to be a soldier, because the attractions are increasingly smaller compared to other activities”, says the admiral retired Eduardo Leal Ferreira, former Navy commander (2015-2019) and former president of the Petrobras Board of Directors (2019-2022).
“We need to rethink the role of the Armed Forces and value them. The problem is a reality that shows us the importance of this”, he says, in reference to the crisis between Venezuela and Guyana that raised fears of war on our borders.
In the crusade to minimize the effects of the cuts, the Armed Forces claim that career evasion is increasing. According to the Army, since 2015, 1,234 have left the corporation before completing their period of inactivity, “seeking opportunities in other careers” — the biggest losses occurred in 2022 (315) and 2023 (346).
“It is important that the career is attractive, in relation to salary and social protection, so that talents of the highest level are acquired and maintained, to fulfill the non-delegable mission of defending the homeland”, declared the Army through notice.
Changing the social protection of military personnel — who enjoy benefits and particularities inherent to their career and which are better than those of the private sector and civil servants — is historically a hornet’s nest for politicians.
Since redemocratization, the president that members of the Armed Forces most deplore is Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), who in 2001 abolished the lifetime pension for military daughters (the liabilities continue to be paid), the automatic promotion of those who join the reserves, housing allowance and inactivity additional, among other frills.
