President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil removes military security from the presidential residence

The military’s inaction in dealing with protesters who trashed government facilities on January 8 led Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to express his mistrust of the military and order the removal of 40 soldiers defending the presidential house.

On January 17, his decision was announced in the official gazette of the government.

The military makes up the majority of the security personnel manning the Alvorada Palace, as the White House is often known, but there are also some members of the Navy, Air Force, and a militarized police force.

Last week, Mr. Lula informed reporters that elements of the security forces were complicit in allowing a crowd of supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro to overrun the key structures that make up the city of Brasilia’s centre of power.

When contacted for information regarding who would take the position of the soldiers manning the mansion, the president’s administration did not do so right away.

Investigations into the rampage have already revealed apparent deliberate security breaches that made the incident possible.

In an effort to alter the outcome of Mr. Lula’s narrow victory in the October election, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Congress, the Planalto presidential palace, and the Supreme Court.

There were numerous military police personnel participated in this. Numerous members of the military services were involved, Mr. Lula informed reporters. I am certain that the palace entrance was opened in order to let these individuals inside because I failed to see that it was shattered.

The army has also come under increased fire from Mr. Lula for doing nothing to disperse a two-month-old gathering of Bolsonaro supporters outside the army’s headquarters, where they chanted for the military to annul the presidential election results.