Pentagon chief confident Brazil military will respect October election

Amber CoakleyJuly 28, 2022

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin the XV Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

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UPDATED 12:45 PM PT – Thursday, July 28, 2022

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is confident Brazil’s military will not interfere with the results of the South American nation’s upcoming presidential election. During a press conference in Brasilia on Wednesday, the US official said Brazil’s armed forces are focused on providing security to ensure a safe and transparent election this October.

This comes as Brazilin President Jair Bolsonaro has publicly cast doubt on the country’s electronic voting system, in turn, raising concerns he may refuse to accept a potential defeat. According to reports, Bolsonaro has went as far as to suggest “only God” could remove him from his presidential post.

“During our engagement, the Brazilian minister of defense commented very early on that he was very focused on providing security to ensure that they were able to conduct a safe, secure and transparent election,” Austin stated.

Also today in Brazil: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the military must be under the control of civilians during a conference in Brasilia. President Jair Bolsonaro has expressed his desire to have the armed forces “overseeing” October’s election

— Daniel Carvalho (@danielcarvalho_) July 27, 2022

The US Defense Secretary also emphasized the need for Brazil’s military to be in firm civilian control. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any intention for a coup in the country.