President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sacked the commander of Brazil’s army Saturday, two weeks after an election-denying mob loyal to his far-right predecessor ransacked the halls of power in Brasilia.
The veteran leftist’s dismissal of Julio Cesar de Arruda came a day before Lula was to make his first trip abroad — to Argentina — as he moves to put the South American powerhouse back on the international stage.
Arruda had only taken up the post on December 30, two days before the end of outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro’s term, and was confirmed by Lula’s administration in early January.
On January 8, Bolsonaro supporters ransacked the presidential palace, Supreme Court and Congress in Brasilia, breaking windows and furniture, destroying priceless works of art, and leaving graffiti messages calling for a military coup.
