- Title: Brazil's new pro-gun lawmakers aim to advance Bolsonaro's firearms agenda
- Date: 11th October 2022
- Summary: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (FILE – JULY 31, 2022) (REUTERS) WEAPON BEING LOADED PERSON FIRING GUN AT SHOOTING RANGE AMMO IN BOXES
- Embargoed: 26th October 2022 00:13
- Keywords: Brazil Election Guns Jair Bolsonaro Legislation President Pro gun
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA006160211102022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A new wave of pro-gun lawmakers in Brazil, elected this month as part of a more conservative Congress, are likely to ensure far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's vision of a more armed citizenry lives on - even if he fails to win re-election.
Brazil's "bullet caucus" in Congress has long represented the interests of police and farmers interested in self-defense, traditional voting blocs with boots and budgets.
But a series of looser gun regulations under Bolsonaro has forged a new breed of U.S.-style pro-gun politicians who put the individual's right to bear arms at the centre of their conservative identities.
Winning 39 seats, they were the surprise winners of Brazil's election: eight senators, 20 federal lawmakers and 11 state lawmakers, according to research from the Sou Da Paz and Igarape Institutes.
The most-voted lawmaker-elect, Marcos Pollon, is the head of lobby group PROARMAS, which models itself on the U.S. National Rifle Association.
Bolsonaro is now scrambling to win votes and endorsements ahead of a tense Oct. 30 runoff against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist former president. But even if Bolsonaro loses, his pro-gun allies in Congress are well positioned to complicate da Silva's pledge to "disarm" Brazil.
The upper house, where Bolsonaro's party is now the largest, has until now been the major obstacle to his legislative agenda on guns.
Political Sciences professor at Rio's Candido Mendes University, Ledilson Lopes, said on Tuesday (October 11) that situation would muddle Lula da Silva's government as his voters would not support any policy enhancing the use of arms.
Since taking office in 2019, Bolsonaro has signed dozens of executive orders to loosen gun laws, making it easier to buy weapons if Brazilians register as hunters, marksmen or collectors, or "CACs."
Nearly 700,000 Brazilians have now accredited as CACs, up almost 500% since 2018.
(Production: Lais Morais, Sebastian Rocandio, Leonardo Benassatto, Anna Portella) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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