Military profile rises but coup is unlikely in Brazil

Subject

The political role of the armed forces.

Significance

The armed forces have recently assumed an unusually high political profile. The current government has appointed generals to high-level positions and ordered a large-scale intervention led by the army in Rio de Janeiro state security institutions. These measures, many of them unprecedented, are an attempt by President Michel Temer to boost his popularity as a ‘tough-on-crime’ leader. The armed forces are one of the few public institutions enjoying high levels of trust among Brazilians.

Impacts

• Despite recent protest calls for a military coup, support for such a move is restricted to a radical minority.
• Resistance against further reliance on the military for domestic law enforcement will rise, including among senior officers.
• Bolsonaro will focus his message on crime, promising to bring more military members into his cabinet, including the Education Ministry.