The State did not demonstrate that it had the structure and capacity to manage such war equipment and Defense was afraid of approving a loan and losing the vehicle to criminal factions
One of the reasons why the president’s government (PT) denied the loan of military armored vehicles to Rio de Janeiro was the fear that members of criminal factions could take possession of the war equipment.
Governor Cláudio Castro (PL) asked in January for the loan of armored vehicles that had been used by the Navy to patrol the region of Hospital Naval Marcílio Dias, in the North Zone of Rio, where a doctor captain of Mar e Guerra was hit by a stray bullet in December.
The Ministry of Defense informed on Tuesday (28.Oct.2025), that “at that moment, the Navy positioned armored vehicles around the perimeter of the hospital, respecting the legal limit of 1,400 meters around military installations, a measure aimed at the security of the area and the military personnel”.
At the time, the request was submitted for analysis by the AGU (Advocacia Geral da União). The body loaned it because it understood that this could only be done with a GLO (Guarantee of Read and Order), based on a decree signed by Lula.
According to the opinion, prepared in February, the actions of the Armed Forces in matters of public security “it is not trivial and is only legitimized in the specific perimeters of the border strip, at sea and in inland waters”, against cross-border or environmental crimes — “which is deduced to not be the case in question”. Ice cream a (PDF – 256 kB).
Despite the AGU’s formal response, the issue was discussed internally within the government. Two assessments were made. That a GLO would have a high cost and would require rearrangement in the Budget. And that Rio de Janeiro is unable to provide adequate security for military vehicles. The fear became that they could be stolen by members of criminal factions that operate in the State and be used inside the favelas.
Lula is against the GLO decree. The instrument authorizes the Armed Forces to be called upon to carry out public security interventions. It is the president’s prerogative to decide. The PT member, however, has already authorized this type of operation twice: in the ports of Rio and in the city of Itaguaí and during the G20 Summit also held in the capital of Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, said that the implementation of a GLO “demands a series of conditions and requirements” and follows rules “quite rigid”.
“One of the preconditions is that governors recognize the failure of security agencies and then transfer security operations to the federal government, more specifically the Armed Forces”, said the minister.
