Former Army Commander General Júlio Cesar de Arruda denied on Thursday (22) to (Supreme Court) that he prevented the Federal District Military Police from entering the urban military sector in Brasilia to arrest the scammers on the night of January 8, 2023.
At the time, however, the general gave orders to the army to mobilize military personnel to prevent PMs from entering the site. Three Guarani armored were used by force to reinforce the blockade.
“I didn’t deny [o acesso da PM]. When it started to happen all there, I went to the army’s HQ. I went to coordinate the actions that should be done by the HQ. I called the General [Gustavo] Dutra, Planalto Military Commander, and [o ministro José] Mucio was by my side all the time, “he said.
Arruda said she received information that the Military Police intended to enter the urban military sector to arrest all protesters – many of which were in the three powers square in the invasion and depredation of the buildings.
“When part of the protesters was returning to the Crystal Square [em frente ao quartel]General Dutra called me, ‘The PM is coming after and I have information that they will arrest everyone.’ I said, ‘No, it has to be coordinated’. That was the initial action, “he said.
The general says that at first he talked to DF’s public security intervener, Ricardo Cappelli, and the Military Police commander, Fábio Augusto Vieira, about the arrest of the pockets.
Soon after, ministers Flávio Dino (at the time of justice), José Mucio Monteiro (Defense) and Rui Costa (Civil House) arrived at the Army HQ and defined that the action to arrest the scammers would be held on the morning of January 9.
Arruda’s decision from preventing PM’s access to the pocket camp set up in front of the Army HQ is described in an investigation into the military’s action on January 8. Arruda and General Dutra testified to the Federal Police in 2023 over the night of invas day.
The discourse in the army is that the barrier made by the armored people was not intended to prevent the arrest of the scammers. The goal was only to prevent an maladjust police operation from ending in tragedy.
President Lula endorsed the army for the arrest to be made the day after the attacks on the powers. The justification of the military was that a disorganized operation could result in deaths.
The minister took advantage of Arruda’s participation in the statement to the Supreme to question him about the arrests of January 8. He told the general that he himself decided on the immediate arrest of the scammers.
“In testimony, Colonel Fábio Augusto Vieira, then commander of the PM, said that when he got there, the Lord forbade the withdrawal [dos golpistas] And with finger laughing, I would have said, ‘You know that my troop is a little bigger than yours, right?’ Do you confirm? “Asked Moraes.
Arruda said she did not remember this detail of the conversation. “There was a climate of nervousness, you know this, and my job was to calm down. This had to be done in a coordinated way […]. Thank God there was no death, “he concluded.
The former army chief also confirmed that he received reserve general Mario Fernandes in his office at the Army Engineering and Construction Department on December 28, 2022.
Estadão report showed that Mario – the author of the Moraes Murder Plan, Lula (PT), Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) and José Dirceu – sought Arruda to ask for support to the conspiracies to prevent the inauguration of the petista president. The former commander would have expelled Mario from the room.
Arruda confirmed that she was sought by Mario, who has been a friend since 1988, that day. It denied, however, that he expelled the General of the Cabinet. “We talked about various subjects, but I didn’t kick him out of my room. I said I would continue what Freire Gomes was doing,” he said.
The general gave testimony to the Supreme as a witness to the defense of Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid. The two worked from 2004 to 2006 at the Army Special Operations Command in Goiânia (GO).
Arruda said Cid was always disciplined and denied that, during the time they served together, Lieutenant Colonel was politicized. The testimony goes in line with the defense of the whistleblower – the lawyer Cezar Bitencourt tries to rid the military of the case by claiming that, as an assistant of orders, only fulfilled what was demanded.
This morning, seven witnesses were heard and one did not attend. All made similar reports, defending the rigor of Mauro Cid’s military conduct, his work history and respect for hierarchy. They also stated that the military did not talk about the acts of January 8 and even about the process he responds.
To convince the witnesses to testify, the father of the employee, General Mauro Lourena Cid, made contact with the military to ask for support to the son. Only General Flávio Alvarenga Filho did not attend.
General Júlio Cesar de Arruda was chosen by the Minister of Defense, to take command of the army still in the transition of government in December 2022. The military was the member of the oldest high command at the time – and Mucio preferred to honor antiquity than the affinity in choosing the heads of.
Arruda didn’t last long in office. Named December 28, 2022, the General faced the attacks of January 8 under the suspicion of the Government Summit (PT) and was fired on January 21, 2023, in confidence crisis.
The general’s resignation was the result of a climb of tensions. On the night of January 8, Arruda decided to put to prevent the Military Police from entering the urban military sector and arresting the pockets camped at the scene.
The justification was that a police operation at night, without organization, could result in conflicts and deaths. To defend his position at a tense meeting with authorities, from the Federal District Public Security, Ricardo Cappelli, and the then head of the PM with finger in the face and discussion about who had the largest troops, according to reports made to Sheet.
Arruda’s permanence in the government was considered unsustainable by Mucio when the general presented resistance to nullifying the appointment of the lieutenant colonel to the command of the 1st Command Action Battalion in Goiânia.
Military unity is one of the main army special forces, the so-called black kids, and Cid’s choice to command it was started two years before the Bolsonaro government ended.
Mauro Cid’s withdrawal from the function in Goiânia was, on January 24
The lawyers of whistleblower Mauro Cid chose eight army military personnel as defense witnesses. They are General Flávio Alvarenga Filho, General João Batista Bezerra Leonel Filho, General Edson Diehl Ripoli, General Julio Cesar de Arruda, Colonel Fernando Linhares Dreux, Captain Raphael Maciel Monteiro, Sergeant Luís Marcos dos Reis and Captain Adriano Alves Teperino.
The list includes former Cid Subordinates in the help of the Presidency of the Republic and immediate heads of his career in the Army.
