Brazilian President Bolsonaro Moves To Arm His Base

The Associated Press reports:

Katia Sastre was walking her 7-year-old to class in Suzano, a violent city near Sao Paulo, when she saw a young man draw a pistol on other parents standing by the school’s front door. Within seconds, she pulled the .38 special she carried in her purse.

The off-duty police officer’s three shots killed the mugger on that morning in May 2018 and kicked off her transformation into a beacon for champions of looser gun control.

Now a lawmaker herself, she is backing Bolsonaro’s push to deliver a gun to every Brazilian who wants one, and dismisses public security experts’ concerns about the president’s four recently issued gun decrees. They will take effect next month — unless Congress or courts intervene.

Read the full article.

“Arming populations is always done at the service of coups, massacres, genocides and dictatorships.” Brazil’s Bolsonaro moves to arm base, alarming gun experts. Essential read from @MSavarese for AP. https://t.co/NOsmfOh9WE

— Dom Phillips (@domphillips) March 15, 2021