The low audience for the September 7th parade, on the Esplanada dos Ministérios, confirmed the cooling in the population’s relationship with the military. Even with the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the audience fell short of other editions, especially last year, when former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) rehearsed a coup speech and proclaimed himself “imbrochable.”
Research carried out by Genial/Quaest, on August 24 of this year, shows that only 33% of the population say they “trust a lot” in the Armed Forces. The Institute had carried out the same survey in December 2023 and 43% of those interviewed said they “trusted a lot” in the military.
The abrupt drop, seen on the streets of Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, during the official parade on September 7th, is directly related to the attempted coup on January 8th this year, according to Suzeley Kalil, professor of International Relations at Unesp and the Postgraduate Program “San Tiago Dantas.”
“There was a decline in the population’s enthusiasm for the military, something that peaked with Bolsonaro’s election. I believe that the population no longer sees the Armed Forces as a competent institution to deal with issues that do not concern them and have noticed that the military represents a conservative force that must return to the barracks”, explained Kalil.
Last Wednesday (6), in a speech to the nation, Lula preached respect for the date and political differences. “Tomorrow will not be a day of hate or fear, but of unity. The day to remember that Brazil is one. That we dream the same dreams. That we may have different accents, support different teams, follow different religions, have a preference for this or that candidate, but that we are the same great nation, a unique and extraordinary people. In just eight months, we put Brazil back on the path to democracy, sovereignty and unity. From economic development with social inclusion.”
Today, in Brasília, the public was mostly made up of Lula supporters who went to see the president during the parade. In the stands, they shouted the president’s name, even before the event, and ignored the high command of the Armed Forces.
The government distributed Brazilian flags and accessories in green and yellow, symbols that had been hijacked by the far right during Jair Bolsonaro’s government.
Editing: Monyse Ravena
