Defending and favoring criminal - Bolsopedia: A enciclopédia do Bolsonarismo

DEFENDING AND FAVORING CRIMINALS – BOLSONARO FAVORED DRUG DEALERS, MILITIAS, THE ORGANIZED CRIME IN THE AMAZON, AND ALLIES CONVICTED AND UNDER INVESTIGATION

HE HELPED ARMING MILITIAS AND DRUG CARTELS
 
FAVORED ILLEGAL MINING
 
ENCOURAGED DEFORESTATION AND WOOD TRAFFICKING 
 
INTERFERED WITH THE FEDERAL POLICE AND USED THE STATE APPARATUS TO PROTECT ALLIES. HE DEFENDED CRIMINALS, BOTH CONVICTED AND UNDER INVESTIGATION

1. HE HELPED ARM MILITIAS, THE PCC, AND DRUG CARTELS

Bolsonaro created several decrees and has acted, since the beginning of his administration, to make guns more accessible to the population.' According to him, they allegedly serve in self-defense: “armed people will never be enslaved.” However, the result was that the decrees he signed have armed – through legal means and at much lower prices – drug dealers, militiamen, and the PCC (as researchers and the Federal Prosecution Office had anticipated in 2019). In addition, we now have over 600,000 “Hunters, Shooters, and Collectors” [HSC] in possession of more guns than the state Military Police. Crimes and accidental shootings carried out by these HSCs – many of which had children as victims – have become so common in the country that they are no longer treated as “isolated cases.”
The MPF says Bolsonaro's gun decree facilitates organized crime and the militias' access to guns (O Globo, October 2019)
The Bolsonaro government revokes an ordinance that provides for the tracking and identification of guns. The measure aimed at making it more difficult for organized crime to access guns. (Estadão, April 2020)
Researchers point out that Bolsonaro's revocation helps criminal groups and militias (UOL, April 2020)
Bolsonaro's decree may benefit Ronnie Lessa, accused of killing Marielle, in an international gun trafficking lawsuit (O Globo, August 2021)
The man who owns an arsenal and is registered as an HSC used to channel ammunition bought legally to Rio drug dealers (Fantástico, January 2022)
​​Armed by the Bolsonaro government, HSCs use access to war guns to strengthen militias and drug trafficking (O Globo, February 2022)
Decrees signed by Bolsonaro benefit international gun traffickers. Convicts have their sentences reduced or were even acquitted (O Globo, May 2022)
The police say members of the PCC criminal organization were using legal rifles, machine guns, and pistols (Band, June 2022)
The Army admits to having authorized a PCC member to purchase a rifle. The PCC member used self-declaration of trustworthiness, which the Army accepted (Folha, July 2022)
Investigations show how Bolsonaro's policy arms the PCC. Their  'gun basket' comprised of rifles, carbines, and pistols became up to 65% cheaper after access to guns was made more accessible (Estadão, July 2022)
The police arrest a sports shooter for allegedly selling guns and ammunition to the PCC (Folha, August 2022)

2. HE FAVORED ILLEGAL MINING

An amateur prospector, Bolsonaro weakened environmental enforcement – which he always considered exaggerated – and blatantly favored illegal mining. During his government, he encouraged mining on indigenous lands and ordered the dismissal of those investigating criminals operating in the Amazon. One of the people fired for working against illegal miners was Bruno Pereira; he and English journalist Dom Phillips were murdered in June 2022. In addition to devastating the local ecosystem, illegal mining in the Amazon threatens entire indigenous populations.
After dismantling the illegal mining scheme in Indigenous Lands, Bruno Pereira is dismissed from his position as a coordinator at Funai (Brasil de Fato, October 2019)
Bolsonaro promises to review the rule for burning illegal mining machinery (Valor, November 2019)
Bolsonaro signs a bill that authorizes mining on indigenous lands. President stated he would confine environmentalists in the Amazon region so that they would 'stop getting in the way' (Folha, February 2020)
A FAB airplane is used to transport illegal miners to a meeting with Salles (Diário de PE, August 2020)
Illegal mining skyrockets on Yanomami territory and threatens indigenous people (DW, March 2021)
Bolsonaro visits an illegal mining site on an indigenous land located in Roraima State (Poder 360, October 2021)
Bolsonaro creates a program that encourages mining in the legal Amazon (Congresso em Foco, February 2022)
Bolsonaro's decree on 'artisanal mining' will encourage illegal mining in the Amazon, environmentalists point out (G1, February 2022)
Bolsonaro government uses AGU to defend mining in indigenous lands even without a law (Folha, April 2022)
With the advance of mining activities, terror spreads in indigenous lands. The expansion of mining in indigenous reservations, with no inspection by the competent agencies, has left a trail of violence and destruction (Correio Braziliense, May 2022)

3. HE ENCOURAGED DEFORESTATION AND WOOD TRAFFICKING

Under Bolsonaro, deforestation in the Amazon has SKYROCKETED. And it is no coincidence: Bolsonaro weakened and equipped environmental agencies, fired civil servants who communicated the increase in deforestation and advocated for loggers. Besides, he also lied about the situation in the Amazon, even blaming the Amazon Forest fires on the indigenous people and Leonardo DiCaprio (it's not a joke). In addition, Ricardo Salles, former Minister of the Environment, is currently being investigated for favoring illegal logging.
Bolsonaro dismisses an INPE employee responsible for monitoring deforestation. The dismissal took place after the agency released data on the increase in deforestation in the Amazon. (Correio Braziliense, August 2019)
Deforestation in the Amazon broke a record and grew 29.5% in 2019 (Folha, November 2019)
Salles dismisses analyst who opposed illegal logging exports (Congresso em Foco, April 2020)
At a ministerial meeting, Ricardo Salles, Minister of the Environment, defended "running the cattle herd" and changing environmental rules while the media focused their attention on Covid-19 (G1, May 2020)
NGOs, Indigenous peoples, Inpe, governors, and DiCaprio: see who Bolsonaro has already blamed for forest fires and deforestation in the Amazon (G1, September 2020)
Deforestation in the Amazon grew 9.5% in 2020 and breaks a new record (DW, November 2020)
The Bolsonaro government ignores 97% of deforestation alerts issued in Brazil since 2019 (G1, May 2021)
PF points out Ricardo Salles' involvement in illegal logging. The US gave Brazil details on Salles' participation in the scheme (Reuters and El País, May 2021)
Ricardo Salles resigned after learning that he would be arrested (Estadão, June 2021)
Deforestation in the Amazon grows by 21.97% in 2021; the highest rate since 2006 (Gazeta do Povo, November 2021)
The highest deforestation rate in the Amazon in 15 years coincides with the lowest number of notifications by IBAMA (G1, November 2021)
Under the Bolsonaro administration, 98% of environmental fines are blocked (Estadão, December 2021)
Bolsonaro's lawyer acted to release illegal wood seized by the Federal Police (Rede Brasil Atual, January 2022)
The CGU [Office of the Federal Controller General ] reports that the Ministry of the Environment jeopardized the continuity of the Amazon Fund, which has R$ 3.2 billion paralyzed (G1, June 2022)
 

4. INTERFERED WITH THE FEDERAL POLICE AND USED THE STATE APPARATUS TO PROTECT ALLIES. HE DEFENDED CRIMINALS, BOTH CONVICTED AND UNDER INVESTIGATION

"A good thief is a dead thief" – that’s what Bolsonaro and his sons used to repeat before becoming president. However, in practice, they do it differently. During his term, Bolsonaro interfered with the Federal Police, protected suspects under investigation, and defended criminals, as long as they were his political allies (or family members).
After promising dismissal, Bolsonaro changes the superintendent of the Federal Police in Rio (Exame, August de 2019)
Bolsonaro activates AGU to defend his supporters investigated by the Federal Supreme Court in social media case (UOL, July 2020)
Roberto Jefferson defends the creation of a militia to stop the municipal guard of Juiz de Fora. According to him, the militiamen should 'set fire to the vehicles' and 'hit their knees and elbows with a bat to break' the municipal police officers (Estado de Minas, March 2021)
Bolsonaro threatens Federal Supreme Court Justices after Roberto Jefferson's arrest (Correio Braziliense, August 2021)
The Director-General of the Federal Police replaces the police chief who investigates Jair Renan and fake news (Correio Braziliense, October 2021)
Secretary of Justice tried to delay the extradition of Allan dos Santos (O Globo, November 2021)
The Federal Police dismissed the chief who ordered the arrest of Allan dos Santos (Congresso em Foco, December 2021)
The advisor involved in the extradition of Allan dos Santos is dismissed (Metrópoles, December 2021)
National Secretary of Justice who tried to delay the extradition of Allan dos Santos wins medal (O Antagonista, December 2021)
The new director general of the Federal Police changes the chief of police responsible for the corruption investigation unit. The police station was responsible for investigations involving Bolsonaro's allies and children (G1, March 2022)
Bolsonaro grants pardon to representative Daniel Silveira. The Supreme Court sentenced Silveira to 8 years and 9 months of imprisonment for encouraging anti-democracy acts and encouraging attacks against Justices (Correio Braziliense, April 2022)
Pro-Bolsonaro representatives will draft a bill to pardon more of Bolsonaro’s allies (Congresso em Foco, April 2022)
AGU will defend Wal do Açaí in misconduct in (public) office suit (Conjur, May 2022)
The Federal Prosecution Office says that AGU defending Bolsonaro and Wal do Açaí misconduct in (public) office suit is illegal (G1, June 2022)
The Prosecution Office makes requests to investigate Bolsonaro for interfering with an investigation of corruption in the Ministry of Education (Metrópoles, June 2022)

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